Seaplane photos (14 images)

French Naval Air Service aircraft

Very interesting pictures set indeed.

1 – Farman 168 Goliath – Escadrille (squadron) 3B1, over Nice harbour between 1931 & 1934.
2 – Loire 130 – cruiser “La Galissonnière” – recovery on landing mat in the Mediterranea in 1939
3 – Loire 130 – cruiser “Marseillaise” – catapult launch in Mediterranea – 1938/1939
4 – Landing of a Levasseur PL 7 – Escadrille 7B1 – aircraft carrier “Béarn” – 1934
5 – Seafires of FAA
6 – Levasseur PL 4 – aircraft carrier “Bearn” training section (SEBA) – 1933
7/8/9/10 – Breguet 730 Sirius – Escadrille 33S – Saint-Mandrier NAS (next to Toulon) – 1948

Hi Adrian

Good guess about the steam power!!!

It is in fact a French air mobile strategic steam laundry Mk XXX11B series 11 with optional bakery upgrade and jacuzzi.

These were deployed throughout the world to show how much class the French could bring to the world if only we would all listen. Went over very big in Vietnam where a war was started on the basis that they wanted to take them back to France.

Kindest regards
John P

Hi all
I think the aircraft carrier must be the Bearn.
She was the only carrier the French had between the wars.
If I get a cahnce over the weekend, I’ll ask my friend Jacques Druel from Normandy what he thinks. Jacques is a French naval history exoert and all round nice bloke.
Cheers
Andy

here is some indepth info on the Loire 130http://www.wwiitechpubs.info/hangar/ac-francaise/ac-fr-sea-loire-130/ac-fr-sea-loire-130-br.html . They were still in service until the early 50’s!
Still nothing on the (older)pusher type?
As C.G. Grey legendary editor of ‘The Aeroplane’ said at a 1930’s Paris show
‘the French as still at war with aerodynamics’! :rolleyes:.
Some great bith of ironmongary though.

The only successful steam-driven aircraft I have ever come across was the Doble Steam Car/Boeing School of Aeronatics Travel Air 2000, X4259. Designed by William Besler, it first flew on April 12, 1933 at Oakland, California, piloted by Nathan C Price. It could fly for about 30 minutes on 10 gallons of water. Once it was proven that it could fly, Besler abandoned the project.

I reckon the aircraft in piccy number 4 is steam driven – that looks suspiciously like a boiler in the middle of the pic!

How many steam-driven aircraft were there then? Walrus? :diablo:

Adrian

OHHHHHHHHHHH

I just love these flying French brick outhouses with wings – great !!!

I second all James comments

Brilliant thanks for these

Regards
John P

The Seafire XVII’s belong to No. 800 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) aboard HMS Triumph.

Triumph’s deck code was the letter ‘P’ which is visible on the tail of each aircraft. 800 NAS’s aircraft side numbers were in the range 171 -182. 800 NAS, along with No. 827 NAS, whose Fireflys are in the background, formed the 13th Carrier Air Group (CAG). The aircraft with side number ‘199’ belonged to the Air Group Commander (AGC) who at that time was Lt Cdr W C Simpson DSC RN.

This dates the photo between Feb 47 and late March 49, when 800 operated this mark of Seafire. They re-equipped with Mk 47’s in April 1949. Throughout this period, Triumph served in the Med.

BR,

Laurie.

I think the aircraft in photo 1 is a Farman F168 torpedo bomber as used by the French navy between 1928 and 1936. It was a dirivative of the Farman F60 Goliath series, I think.

The photo below of an F168 bears more than a passing resemblance to the aircraft in photo 1.

The aircraft on short finals to the carrier could be a Levasseur PL 7. The windshield and strut arrangement certainly look similar, as does the cowling. Ollie mentioned in an earlier post the French carrier Bearn. Some PL 7’s were serving on that ship right up to the outbreak of WWII.

Still stumped by the wreck though.

BR

Laurie.

Mais non mon amie.

Ills est un ‘hydravion de croisiere’ of 20 metric tons weight, spec issued in 1935. The book gives it as a ‘Long range maritime reconnassance and trasport flying boat’.

Gems include ‘the prototype was disembowelled when its pilot inadvertandly landed the aircraft in shallow water’ Ooops.

It is in fact Br.730 No 2 ‘Sirius’ (See name on the nose)

Ooo. Lovely. Sooo much more interesting than the Spitfire sgrunge widget 😉

Cheers!

Love that 4 engine beastie. Breguet 730 you say? Commercial airliner?

I can second Robbie’s id of the Breguet as a 730/1 and I’d guess at postwar but it is definitely a 730 – the 731 having a different nose glazing. There were several served postwar, including two up engined 730s which became the 731. Engine was 1,120hp Gnome Rhone 14N 44/45 14cy engines (x 4 of course)

Details from War planes of the second world war, Vol 5, Flying Boats, Wm Green. (it’s a book. 😉 )

The nose structure was a popular design feature in France for this type of flying boat, large and small; it’s basically a connection to the nose observation position (rather like the glasshouse on the Battle (going aft) or Blenhiem (going forward) to stretch a point) and rather ugly to us, but they liked it!

I confess to being beaten at the moment as to the large floatplane in pic one, the wreck and the a/c the photographer is in aproaching the carrier. But I’ll mull…

More details on the two types id are aval if req. from the book. 😀

You could try posting them at: http://www.airwarfareforum.com/ and there’s some good French magazines that cover this sort of stuff…

Cheers!

Oooooo ooo ooo! Lovely!

Want!

The single engined pusher is the Loire 130, a technical contemporary of the Walrus. Even more odd, and ergo lovely.

(Over excited JDK. Sorry folks)

Can anybody hazaed a guess/ offer an explanation of the curious structure along the nose of the large flying boat, is it something as simple as a boarding ramp?

Also, the cowlings and spinners are reminiscent of those on a Noratlas, are there more Bristol derived Snecma radials?

The first photo appears to have been taken over Nice harbour – although different today, I think there’s enough similarity for me to recognise it. No idea what aircraft, though!

The large 4 engines flying boat is either a Breguet 730(pre war) of 731(post war), the 731 was just a prototype and was still in service in 1953.

The Seafires are XVIIs…

You can Fireflies at the stern of the ship.

If the shot on final for the carrier deck was taken in the Royale, then it’s the “Béarn”.

Great photos !! . Does anybody have any idea of what or when ???

Al