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View Full Version : Want some specifications! Latecoere.


GregP
5th September 2005, 12:45
The Macchi-Castoldi MC.72 was a 400+ mph floatplane in the pre-war Schnieder Cup races. Unfortunately, no one developed the tandem V-12 layout much.

One company that did was Latecoere. The Late 299A was a Latecoere 299 fitted with a second, tandem engine on the same crankshaft driving contra-props, and configured as a land plane instead of a floatplane. Unfortunately I have NO information on it ...

Anyone know anything about it? Specs would be greatly appreciated, including wing area. Being French, I assume the engines were Hispano-Suiza 12Ys of some sort, but have no real info in it. I think it was completed a test flown in German markings.

Another tandem-engine aircraft was the Soviet Bolkhovitinov Sparka. It had tandem Klimov M-103 engines. It was reasonablt fast at 354 mph, but was not produced. It was produced in single and two engine variants, and I think the single engine airframe was modified into the twin engine airframe. Specs: Span: 11.40m, length: 13.2m, wing area: 22.9 sq. m, 5150 kg loaded. 1 built.

Romantic Technofreak
6th September 2005, 03:48
All I can do in the short term is to give a link to the fine Russian site airwar.ru. It includes a short text (sorrily I have no time to translate) and good pictures. It also says that its two-engined version is named 299a, but specifications given are only for the "normal" 299:

http://www.airwar.ru/enc/spyww2/late299.html

Beyond this, Google search happened to deliver only dead sites, what gave no more chance than to retrieve short description junks:

"Ultime version du Latecoere 299, le 299A se distinguait, entre autre, par deux hélices contrarotatives, un poste de pilotage affiné, suivi par deux petites..."

"Latécoère 299A, alias 299Z (ex 299-01). Bimoteur en tandem de deux Hispano Suiza 12Y 31 (1941)..."

I am going to make a request on airwarfareforum.com The "factionists" there use to know everything but about unknown airplanes...

The Bolkhovitinow S "Sparka" was already subject of a GOT topic and is further discussed on airwarfareforum.com.

GregP
6th September 2005, 03:52
Thanks for the link RT, but I found it already. As you said, there are no specifications on it. I am just curious since it is one of only a handful of aircraft that attempt to use tendem V-12 engines to get more power.