Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2021 12:48:27 GMT -5
The Latécoère 631 was a civil transatlantic flying boat built by Latécoère, the largest ever built up to its time. The type was not a success, being unreliable and uneconomic to operate. Five of the eleven aircraft built were written off in accidents and one was lost during World War II.
Four aircraft were purchased by Air France, and entered service on the Biscarrosse-Port-Étienne-Fort de France route in July 1947.After the crash of one of the Laté 631, operating a flight from Fort-de-France, Martinique, to Port-Étienne, Mauritania, all remaining aircraft where withdrawn from service by Air France.
The France Hydro company was created in 1952 and took an option on the remaining devices in 1954. Its goal is to transport cotton between southern Chad between Lake Léré, near the production region at the Cameroonian border and the port of Douala .
Unfortunately, a fourth accident resulted in the loss of the only operating seaplane on September 11, 1955. This was the end of France Hydro and Latécoère 631 as well.
Here one of it journey to Central Africa:
Laté 631 at Les Hourtiquets near Biscarrosse in southwestern part of France
leaving lake of Biscarrosse and Parentis (Biscarrosse naval base below)
reaching the Pyrenees and passing Mount Canigou, feared because of the several aircraft crashs
after crossed the Mediterrean Sea approaching the Tunesian coast at Bizerte, near Tunis
landing at the French naval base of Karouba
after stopover there, the Laté continues over the Sahara
and Lake Chad
approaching Lake Léré at Southern Chad and Northern Cameroonian borders
The coton is transborded to the aircraft with a truck an a barge!
approaching Douala the Laté passes the Mount Cameroon
and the Island Santa Isabela of Equatorial Guinea, almost in vincinity of the Cameroonian capital
finally lands at Douala harbour where the coton is borded to cargo ships
While approaching Douala, the Laté flew several circles before reaching landing postion. Never saw that before!
Bernard
