Latécoère 631

Latécoère · France · first flew 1942 · airliner

The Latécoère 631 was the largest flying boat ever constructed in France, a six-engine transatlantic airliner designed before the Second World War that entered Air France service briefly in 1947 before a series of crashes ended operations.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	6 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	41.78 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Largest flying boat ever built in France, with six Wright Cyclone radial engines
High-mounted parasol wing above a deep two-deck passenger hull
Designed for transatlantic service; only a handful survived the war

Very large parasol-wing flying boat with six radial engines in two nacelles of three on the high wing, a deep rounded hull with sponson floats, and a tall single fin.

Specifications

The Latécoère 631 has a length of 41.78 m (137 ft).
It has a wingspan of 57.43 m (188 ft).
Its maximum speed is 400 km/h (249 mph).
Typical crew: 9 + up to 46 passengers.

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

History

Design began in the late 1930s and the prototype first flew in November 1942 under Vichy French auspices. Several aircraft were seized by Germany, and only a handful of the nine completed aircraft survived the war in flyable condition. Air France operated the type on the Paris–Fort-de-France route in 1947 but withdrew it after two fatal accidents.

Variants

All production aircraft were built to a single specification; a proposed Latécoère 631-5 with more powerful engines was not completed.

Where you'll see it

Operated briefly by Air France in 1947 on Atlantic routes; one aircraft was subsequently used for survey flights before the fleet was scrapped.

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