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The prototype Late 631 flew for the first time on 4 November 1942. It was a graceful high-wing monoplane flying-boat powered by six 1,192kW radial engines. Accommodation was provided for 46 passengers in two- or four-berth cabins. However this aircraft was confiscated by the Germans during the occupation of France.
Three Late 631 were built after the war and inaugurated transatlantic services to Fort de France on 26 July 1947. One was lost on 1 August 1948 and the type was subsequently withdrawn from the service. It is believed that eight aircraft were eventually built. The Societe France-Hydro operated one on cargo services in French Equatorial Africa for three years, but it crashed: after which all remaining Late 631 were broken up.
| CREW | 6 |
| PASSENGERS | 70 |
| ENGINE | 6 x Wright Cycl. GR 2600-A5B, 1175kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 71350 kg | 157301 lb |
| Empty weight | 32332 kg | 71280 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 57.4 m | 188 ft 4 in |
| Length | 43.5 m | 142 ft 9 in |
| Wing area | 350.0 m2 | 3767.37 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 405 km/h | 252 mph |
| Cruise speed | 320 km/h | 199 mph |
| Range w/max.fuel | 6000 km | 3728 miles |
| John A. Fitzgerald, jafitzpe(@)nauticom.net, 12.09.2009 Was this the type of plane that landed in the Laguna de Rocha in Uruguay on the maiden fright to South America ? | | Maign�, fran.maigne(@)infonie.fr, 11.09.2009 Production totale : 11 exemplaires. F-BAHG 01 4/11/1942 - F-BANF (non construit) - F-BANT 02 6/03/1945 - F-BANU 3 15/06/1946 - F-BDRA 4 22/05/1947 - F-BDRB 5 5/09/1947 - F-BDRC 6 9/11/1947 - F-BDRD 7 26/01/1948 - F-BDRE 8 28/11/1948
F-BDRF 9 20/11/1948 - F-BDRG 10 7/10/1949 - F-BDRH 11 non achev� | | Patrick Moyna, pmoyna(@)fq.edu.uy, 31.01.2009 As a child I remember one Late crash landing in a lake im Uruguay (Laguna Negra) in 1947 or so, the Lionel de Marmier. There is some reference to that plane in the web. | | JOLY Christian, christian.joly39(@) wanadoo.fr, 09.12.2008 Died in 1998 my father was a military pilot. He made one or many flight as flight member around Istres and area (as pilot or as "navigateur", being french I don't know the word). His name was Charles JOLY (1921/1998). Do you have any information about that ? I visited that plane, without his six engines, around Marignane airport after 1955. | | Colin, 15.10.2008 Stephen, Was the Spruce Goose not a flying boat? | | Stephen Brichant, brichant(@)mindspring.com, 02.08.2008 Sir
Was Late 631 aircraft the largest "flying boat" ever built? Are there any large "flying boats of any kind flying anywhere? Sunderlands? Thank you.
Stephen Brichant (Capt. Delta Airlines, Atlanta, USA) | | Michel Grandidier, m.grandidier(@)hotmail.fr, 21.06.2008 Bonjour,
Mon courrier s'adresse à Mr.Ronald Simpson.En effet,je pense avoir pris le même vol que vous en 1948.J'aitais alors agé d'un an, et nous avons traverssé l'atlantique pour la Martinique sur un latécoère. Mon pére disait, que celui que nous devions prendre était tombé à l'aller.(Il sagit peut-être, du n°7, crashé entre le Havre et Biscarosse?)Nous avons donc pris le suivant,(le n°6) qui lui s'est perdu en mer, lors de son retour le 1-8-1948 | | Michel Grandidier, m.grandidier(@)hotmail.fr, 21.06.2008 Bonjour,
Mon courrier s'adresse à Mr.Ronald Simpson.En effet,je pense avoir pris le même vol que vous en 1948.J'aitais alors agé d'un an, et nous avons traverssé l'atlantique pour la Martinique sur un latécoère. Mon pére disait, que celui que nous devions prendre était tombé à l'aller.(Il sagit peut-être, du n°7, crashé entre le Havre et Biscarosse?)Nous avons donc pris le suivant,(le n°6) qui lui s'est perdu en mer, lors de son retour le 1-8-1948 | | Gerhard Dose, gerhard.f.dose(@)t-online.de, 13.04.2008 I have seen this Flying Boat while it was developed 1943 in Berre l'Etang. I saw it starting and landing at the Etang de Berre. It was stationed within our naval Airfield and was guarded by the German Luftwaffe. | | Chris Fry, chris4036(@)ntlworld.com, 13.06.2007 I well remember seeing Latecoere flying boats,staging through China Bay.Trincomalee,Ceylon in 1951,enroute to French Indochina.I was flying RAF Sunderlands and there for SAR duties | | Ronald Simpson, ronald_simpson1947(@)yahoo.com, 26.05.2007 First Transatlantic Flight, Geneva, Switzerland to Fort de France, Martinique by "Latecoere 631" on June 14, 1948. Special mail flight arrived Fort de France on June 16th. The plane disappeared on its return flight. |
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Do you have any comments about this aircraft ?
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