Latécoère 26

Latécoère 26
Role	Mail-carrying monoplane
Manufacturer	Latécoère
First flight	1926
Primary user	Aéropostale
Number built	90

The Latécoère 26 was a French monoplane mail plane designed and built by Latécoère.

Development

Designed in the 1920s as a mail carrier the Latécoère 26 first flew in 1926, based on the earlier Latécoère 25 with a longer fuselage. It had a parasol wing with a fixed tailskid landing gear. The main landing gear was both robust and wide-track to enable the aircraft to land on unprepared surfaces. Powered by a single nose-mounted Renault 12Ja piston engine. Designed as a mail carrier it had room for only two passengers and an open cockpit for the pilot.

Operational history

Most of the aircraft were operated by Aéropostale on North and West African mail routes, two aircraft were sold in Argentina.

Variants

Laté 26

Initial production variant.

Laté 26-2-R

Introduced in 1927 it had a radio compartment.

Laté 26-3

Added fuel tank in wing centre-section.

Laté 26-3-R

With a balanced rudder.

Laté 26-6

Added a co-pilots cockpit in tandem behind the pilot, different landing gear and increased fuel capacity.

Laté 26-6/2

Re-engined with a 500hp (373kW) Renault engine and reduced wing area and tail surfaces.

Operators

Argentina

France

• Aéropostale

Specifications (26-2-R)

Data from

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 2 passengers and 5 m³ (176.57 ft³) of mail.
• Length: 3.90 m (12 ft 9½ in)
• Wingspan: 17.40 m (57 ft 1 in)
• Height: 3.90 m (12 ft 1½ in)
• Wing area: 48.60 m² (523.14 ft²)
• Empty weight: 1590 kg (3505 lb)
• Gross weight: 3364 kg (7,416 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Renault 12Ja V-12 piston engine, 336 kW (450 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 188 km/h (117 mph)
• Range: 680 km (423 miles)
• Service ceiling: 4750 m (15,585 ft)

See also

• Mail plane