| LeO H.242 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Passenger flying boat |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Lioré et Olivier |
| First flight | 1929 |
| Introduction | 1933 |
| Retired | 1942 |
| Primary user | Air France |
| Number built | 15 |
The Lioré et Olivier LeO H.242 was a French-manufactured flying boat that was used for European passenger air services in the 1930s. Several were operated by Air France.
One LeO H.242 features at the end of Hergé's The Adventures of Tintin comic King Ottokar's Sceptre.[1]
Variants
- H-24.01
- First prototype. Powered by two 373 kW (500 hp) Renault 12Jb engines. One built.
- H-241
- The initial four-engined long-range heavy-weight variant of the H-24. The hull was almost exclusively made of anodised Duralumin, for corrosion resistance. Although construction began before the H.242, the sole H.241 was completed later, but did not enter production.[2]
- H-242
- Initial production. Powered by four Gnome-Rhône 7Kd Titan Major radial engines. Two were built for Air France and delivered in December 1933 and February 1934. They could carry ten passengers.[3]
- H-242/1
- Revised production version, with a modified engine installation. Twelve were built for Air France and delivered between March 1935 and May 1937, carrying twelve passengers. Most H.242/1s were fitted with wide chord NACA cowlings over the front engine only, but some aircraft were fitted with narrow chord Townend rings around the front engine.[2]
- H-243
- an un-built projected version for the French navy with enlarged hull.[2]
- H-244
- A projected high-speed inter-continental flying boat for Air Union, abandoned when Air Union was absorbed by Air France.[2]
- H-246
- A major redesign, the four engines now all in tractor configuration.
Operators
- Regia Aeronautica - Captured aircraft.
Specifications (H-242/1)
Data from The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft,[4][5]
General characteristics
- Crew: 4
- Capacity: 12 passengers
- Length: 18.45 m (60 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan: 28 m (91 ft 10 in)
- Height: 6.33 m (20 ft 9 in)
- Wing area: 116.25 m2 (1,251.3 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 5,868 kg (12,937 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 8,700 kg (19,180 lb)
- Powerplant: 4 × Gnome-Rhône 7Kd Titan Major 7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 261 kW (350 hp) each
- Propellers: 2-bladed variable-pitch propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 240 km/h (150 mph, 130 kn)
- Range: 1,100 km (680 mi, 590 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,800 ft)
- Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 6 minutes 50 seconds
See also
References
- ^ "Le sceptre d'Ottokar".
- ^ a b c d Hartmann, Gérard. "Le Lioré et Olivier H-24, premier hydravion d'Air France" [The Lioré and Olivier H-24, Air France's first seaplane] (PDF). www.hydroretro.net (in French).
- ^ "Nico Braas Collection". 1000aircraftphotos.com. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
- ^ Donald 1997, p.568.
- ^ Parmentier, Bruno (19 January 2010). "Aviafrance : Lioré et Olivier LeO H-242/1". Aviafrance (in French). Retrieved 8 November 2019.
Bibliography
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lioré et Olivier LeO H-242.
- Bousquet, Gérard. French Flying Boats of WW II. Sandomierz, Poland: Stratus, 2013 ISBN 978-83-63678-06-7
- Donald, David (editor).The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Leicester, UK: Blitz, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X
- Hartmann, Gérard. Les Avions Lioré Et Olivier. Boulogne-Billancourt, France: ETAI. 2002. ISBN 2-7268-8607-8 (in French)
This page was last edited on 9 January 2024, at 14:24