Latécoère 299

Latécoère · France · first flew 1939 · bomber

The Latécoère 299 was a French single-engine torpedo bomber floatplane designed for the Aéronavale in the late 1930s.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsLow-mounted, tapered
E — Engines1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — FuselageTwin central floats under the fuselage
T — TailConventional

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Spot it by:

A monoplane floatplane with a low-set tapered wing, twin floats, and a radial engine; the torpedo crutch under the fuselage and naval equipment identify it as a military type.

Specifications

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed to provide the French Navy with a modern torpedo-carrying floatplane, the Latécoère 299 flew in 1939 but saw limited operational service before the fall of France in 1940. It represented a late attempt to maintain floatplane torpedo capability alongside conventional land-based aircraft.

Variants

Only a small number of prototypes and pre-production aircraft were completed before the armistice halted further development.

Where you'll see it

Saw minimal operational use with the Aéronavale; the aircraft's career was cut short by the French defeat in 1940.

Related aircraft

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