Developed from the Latecoere 26, the Latecoere 28.0 was a braced high-wing monoplane powered by a Renault 12Jbr engine. The enclosed cockpit accommodated a pilot and co-pilot/ engineer, and the cabin was furnished for eight passengers. Seventeen Late 28.0s were followed by 29 Late 28.1 aircraft with a 373kW Hispano-Suiza 12Hbxr engine. A number of Late 28.0s were converted subsequently to Late 28.1 standard.
The sole Late 28.2 was a mail carrier and established several payload/speed world records in 1931. The first of five Late 28.3 mail carriers was flown by Jean Mermoz on 11/12 April 1930 to achieve a world closed-circuit distance record for seaplanes of 4308km.
The remaining Late 28.3s were used on Mediterranean routes and charter services. The Late 28.1/H was a wheel landing gear version of the Late 28.3. Two one-off aircraft were the Late 28.3-I, a passenger version of the Late 28.3, and the Late 28.4-I, also developed from the Late 28.3 but powered by a Gnome-Rhone 14Kbr radial engine of 522kW. In 1930 there appeared the Late 28.5, structurally strengthened and powered by a 485kW Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr, followed by three Late 28.6 aircraft, also Hispano-powered and built for Venezuela, which had already purchased two Late 28.1s.
Variants:
Laté 28
Laté 28-0: 1 x 500 hp Renault 12Jb V12, 2 crew + 8 pax
Laté 28-1: 1 x 500 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Hbr, 2 crew + 8 pax
Production of Laté 28-0 and ’28-1 totalled at least 47 a/c*
Laté 28-2: record aircraft (5 Int’l speed records, 1 x 650 hp HS.12Nbr, 1 built
Laté 28-2 had Lamblin radiators, carried twice Laté 28-1’s payload
Laté 28-3: twin-float seaplane airmail transport, 600 hp HS.12Lbr V12
Laté 28-3 ‘Comte-de-La Vaulx’ F-AJNQ, trans-South Atlantic, 12-13 May 1930
Laté 28-4: Laté 28-4-01, 1 x 700 hp Gnome-Rhone 14KB radial, 1 built
Laté 28-5: military floatplane for Aéronavale, 1 x 650 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Nb
Laté 28 c/n 92 ‘La Frégate’ record breaker flown by Lt de Vaisseau Pâris
Laté 28-6: Laté 28-6-1, 3 x HS.12Nb-powered a/c for Venezuela, conv to Laté 28-9
Laté 28-7: [Project] Laté 28-0 with 700 hp Renault 12Mc, not built
Laté 28-8: 1930 record attempt a/c, 1 x 650 hp Hispano-Suiza 12 Nbr, 1 built
Laté 28-8 c/n 916** F-AJXL had and enlarged wing, it broke up in flight
Laté 28-9: Laté 28-9-1, 3-seat bomber with dorsal machine gun mounting
- Production for Aéropostale x 38, Aviacion Nacional Venezolana x 3, Linea Aeropostal Venezolana x 2, and Aeroposta Argentina (an Aéropostale subsidiary) x 4.
Aéropostale Laté 28-0: c/n 910 F-AJOU, 916 ‘OV, 917 ‘OX, 923 ‘OY, 924 ‘OZ, 925 F-AJPA, 926 ‘PB, 927 ‘PC, 929 F-AJUV, 930 ‘UX, 931 ‘UY, 932 ‘UZ, 933 F-AJVB, 934 F-AJVH, 935 ‘VI, 936 ‘VJ, and 937 ‘VK (all conv. to Laté 28-1 standards, 1933-35 except 917, 931, 923, & 937).
Aéropostale Laté 28-1: c/n 902 F-AJHS, 903 F-AJIO, 904 F-AJIX, 905 F-AJIP, 906 F-AJIQ, 908 F-AJJM, 911 F-AJLB, 912 F-AJLE, 913 F-AJLM (YV-ABU, 914 F-AJLN, and 915 F-AJLO.
Air France Laté 28/1H: c/n 941 F-AMX, 943 F-AMXV, and 944 F-AMXX
Aéropostale Laté 28-3 c/n 921 F-AJPF, 922 ‘PG (conv. to Laté 28-1), & 940 ‘PH
** NB: It’s difficult to pin down exact Laté 28 variant numbers. In part, this is because of individual airframes being modified between variants. In other cases there is c/n duplication in registration records – eg: c/n 918 is listed both as the record-breaking Laté 28-8 airframe and as Aeroposta Argentina’s F-AJPD which crashed in Rio Plate estuary.
Specifications:
Late 28.1
Engine: 1 x Hispano-Suiza 12Hbxr, 500hp
Max take-off weight: 4040 kg / 8907 lb
Empty weight: 2440 kg / 5379 lb
Wingspan: 19.25 m / 63 ft 2 in
Length: 13.64 m / 44 ft 9 in
Height: 3.58 m / 11 ft 9 in
Wing area: 48.60 sq.m / 523.13 sq ft
Max. speed: 232 km/h / 144 mph
Cruise speed: 200 km/h / 124 mph
Ceiling: 5200 m / 17050 ft
Range: 1000 km / 621 miles
Range w/max.fuel: 1000 km / 621 miles
Crew: 3
Passengers: 8
