Characteristics:

A-4 format, hard cover, 168 pages, 288 pictures in b/w, 2 in color, 1/72 scale drawings, 22 color profiles. French text.

Latecoere, a magic name, associated in the past with “la ligne” in the ‘30s; the golden age with the civil raids to open air lines across the oceans. But it is also a French aviation manufacturer who took a role in the French industry. This volume is dedicated to a seaplane, a three seaters torpedo called Late 298. If the official order was for 208 aircrafts, only 121 will be delivered to the French navy. In 1938 the first Flotille T2 at Cherbourg was equipped with this modern bomber, followed soon by other detachments. If the blitzkrieg had involved the Late in desperate missions with light losses, the service life only ended in 1950. Here is the most complete story published on this particular observer, torpedo, bomber.

12 chapters divide the book; the first three, as usual cover the prototypes and orders. The fourth is by far the longest one and discribe the activity with 178 pictures of the formations; F5/F1/6F/5F/7F/5FS/T2-2T/T1-1T/HB1-1H/HB2-2HT/T3-3T/T4-4T/1S1-1S/3S6-12S/5T/6T/4S1/4S/2S/1S/3S/53S/30S. Plus the test and school units CEV,CEPA, CEP. Some aircrafts have flown under foreign colors (RAF, luftwaffe) depicted in 7 pages. The last chapters will took attention of the modellers with color and markings, emblems worn by the entire fleet. The individual career of the 131 aircrafts is listed with the successive affectations. 2 rare color pictures of the shot down Late n°4, gave interesting information too. A 1/72 scale drawing plans followed by a 3D exploded view and numerous files from the manual (cockpit, lay out, armament..) open the way to 22 color profiles covering the 1939-44 period.

Finally here is a good reference for historians and model maker of the 1/72 AZUR, and 1/48 POMK, Sinifer, and AZUR Models.

December 2005

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