- Yes
- No
Hello everyone, and welcome to this new suggestion.
Today, I am presenting a new French seaplane prototype: the Amiot S.E.C.M. 110S.
In the early 1930s, the French seaplane manufacturer Latham began work on an ambitious new aircraft. The design was intended to incorporate several advanced technical features for its time, with the goal of achieving significantly better performance than contemporary seaplanes.
However, before the project could be completed, Latham was acquired, bringing the company’s name to an end. Fortunately for the aircraft, the project itself did not disappear. The acquiring companies, Amiot and S.E.C.M., took an interest in the design and decided to continue its development. Two prototypes were eventually built, with the first making its maiden flight in late 1931.
The aircraft initially attracted relatively little attention, but this changed when it was presented to the public at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, where its modern design and ambitious features made a favorable impression. A series of flight tests followed, revealing several shortcomings that needed to be addressed.
Among the modifications introduced during the program was a change of powerplant. The original engines had failed to provide the level of performance expected from the aircraft, so they were replaced with more powerful units in an attempt to improve its flight characteristics.
Despite these efforts, the aircraft ultimately failed to convince the French Navy. No production order was placed, and the project was abandoned. The two prototypes were subsequently left unused before eventually being scrapped, bringing the short-lived story of the Amiot S.E.C.M. 110S to an end.
Characteristics
Length : 14.00 m
Width : 23.25 m
Height : 5.00 m
Mass :
- Empty : 3,060 kg
- Max : 4,500 kg
The aircraft is powered by a single 650 hp Hispano-Suiza 12 engine in a pusher configuration, allowing it to reach a top speed of 203 km/h and a service ceiling of 4,000 m. It has a range of 1,000 km at a cruising speed of 180 km/h.
Its crew consists of three people: a pilot, a forward gunner/observer/bombardier, and a rear gunner.
Weapons
The aircraft’s offensive armament is weak, to say the least, carrying only small-caliber bombs for attacking ground targets. However, its defensive armament is quite adequate.
Defensive armament:
- 1 x twin 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine gun (rear position)
- 1 x twin 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine gun (forward position)
Offensive armament:
- 2 x Michelin bomb racks
- 4 x 10 kg bombs
or
- 2 x G.P.U. bomb racks
- 2 x 75 kg bombs
In-game, this aircraft would make a good reserve seaplane for France, offering a machine with limited combat capabilities but sufficient defensive armament to remain viable.
Pictures
