Latham 43
| Latham 42 and 43 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Flying boat bomber |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Latham |
| First flight | 1924 |
| Primary user | Aéronavale |
| Number built | 28 |
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The Latham 43 was a flying boat bomber built in France in the 1920s for service with the French Navy. It was a conventional design for its day - a two-bay biplane with unstaggered wings, and engines mounted tractor-fashion on struts in the interplane gap. The pilot sat in an open cockpit, with a gunner in an open bow position, and another in an open position amidships.
Two examples, designated Latham 42 powered by liquid-cooled Vee engines were evaluated by the navy in 1924, leading to a contract for 18 aircraft powered by air-cooled radial engines instead. Designated Latham 43 by the manufacturer and HB.3 in naval service (for Hydravion de bombardement - "Seaplane-bomber", 3 seats), they remained in service between 1926 and 1929.
Eight other machines with the original liquid-cooled engine were sold to Poland.
Variants
- prototypes with Lorraine 12Da engines (2 built)
- production version for France with Gnome et Rhône 9Aa engines (18 built)
- production version for Poland with Lorraine engines (8 built)
Operators
- Aéronavale
- Escadrille 4R1
- Escadrille 5R1
Specifications (French production version)
General characteristics
- Crew: Three
- Length: 15.60 m (61 ft 2 in)
- Wingspan: 22.50 m (73 ft 10 in)
- Height: 5.40 m (17 ft 9 in)
- Wing area: 125 m2 (1,345 ft2)
- Empty weight: 3,460 kg (7,610 lb)
- Gross weight: 5,390 kg (11,860 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Gnome et Rhône 9Aa, 280 kW (380 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 160 km/h (100 mph)
- Range: 800 km (500 miles)
- Service ceiling: 4,600 m (15,100 ft)
Armament
- 1 × trainable .303 machine gun in open position in bow
- 1 × trainable .303 machine gun in open position amidships
- 400 kg (880 lb) of bombs
See also
- Related lists
References
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 568.
- World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 900 Sheet 2.
- aviafrance.com
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