Latécoère 26
title: "Latécoère 26" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["latécoère-aircraft", "1920s-french-mailplanes", "single-engined-tractor-aircraft", "parasol-wing-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1926"] topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latécoère_26" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Latécoère 26 |
| image | ETH-BIB-Gruppe Nomaden vor einem französischen Flugzeug am Kap Juby-Tschadseeflug 1930-31-LBS MH02-08-1077.tif |
| aircraft_type | Mail-carrying monoplane |
| manufacturer | Latécoère |
| primary_user | Aéropostale |
| number_built | 90 |
| first_flight | 1926 |
| :: |
NOTOC | name = Latécoère 26 | logo = | logo_size = | image = ETH-BIB-Gruppe Nomaden vor einem französischen Flugzeug am Kap Juby-Tschadseeflug 1930-31-LBS MH02-08-1077.tif | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Mail-carrying monoplane | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = | manufacturer = Latécoère | design_group = | designer = | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = Aéropostale | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 90 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = 1926 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = The Latécoère 26 was a French monoplane mail plane designed and built by Latécoère.
Development
The Latécoère 26 was designed in the 1920s as a mail carrier, based on the earlier Latécoère 25 with a longer fuselage, and first flew in 1926. 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. It was powered by a single nose-mounted Renault 12Ja piston engine, and 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
; ;
Specifications (26-2-R)
|ref= |prime units? = met |crew=1 |capacity=2 passengers and 5 m³ (176.57 ft³) of mail. |length m=17.4 |length ft=57 |span m=17.40 |span ft=57 |span in=1 |height m=3.90 |height ft=12 |height in=1.5 |wing area sqm=48.60 |wing area sqft=523.14 |empty weight kg=1590 |empty weight lb=3505 |gross weight kg=3364 |gross weight lb=7,416 |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Renault 12Ja V-12 piston engine |eng1 kw=336 |eng1 hp=450 |max speed kmh=188 |max speed mph=117 |range km=680 |range miles=423 |ceiling m=4750 |ceiling ft=15,585
References
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::