In 1933, the Navy launched
a program to acquire a three-seater aircraft for operations in coastal
areas. Five manufacturers respond to it. Two projects are seaplanes
(Loire 130 and CAMS 120), and the other three are floatplanes (LéO
H43, Gourdou-Leseurre GL820 and Breguet Br610). Although not completely
responsive to the program, the Leo H43 was chosen because it had
the greatest potential for development, thus giving hope of being
able to get closer to the Navy's expectations.
The aircraft, designed by
Mr Benoit is built in the Argenteuil plant. The Leo H43, of conventional
construction, has a large fuselage. The upper part includes the
3 crew stations, open pit. The Pilot, the gunner at the extreme
rear position and a man with three missions in the central part:
Observer / Radio and navigator ... This one could slip, for the
observation, in the prominent central console, largely glazed to
facilitate the 'observation. In the event of an attack, he quickly
left this particularly vulnerable observation post to go back to
his central position between the pilot and the gunner. He also had
to change stations to use the radio
The aircraft is designed
around a metal structure, made of tubes and metal profiles, covered
with a non-working coating, and an aluminum engine hood. The Leo
H43 is powered by a 575hp Hispano-Suiza 9Va driving a two-blade
propeller. The tanks are located in duralumin floats. The wings
are foldable to allow the storage of the aircraft in the hangars
of the ships of line.
The prototype made its first
flight December 4, 1934, and trials begin in January in Saint-Raphael.
The tests are rather conclusive, a catapulting test is also successfully
conducted from the Seaplane Carrier "Commander Teste".
An evaluation in unit of active confirms the possibilities of the
machine, and a command of twenty aircrafts is passed, under conditions
to make however some modifications.
The original engine hood
is replaced by a Naca type, larger diameter but better profiled
and the propeller receives a cone. The keels of the floats are enlarged
to improve longitudinal stability, and the rudder surfaces have
been reduced. The fixed back plane is now adjustable in flight.
Only two crew positions remain open. All these changes significantly
delay the commissioning of the aircraft, and it was not until the
summer of 1937 that the Leo H43 was re-presented for evaluation.
In the meantime, following the nationalizations, Lioré &
Olivier is now part of the SNCASE Group and the manufacture of the
new unit is transferred to the Berre plant. But these new tests
bring their batches of additional modifications while the production
is already launched ...
The unit receives a more
powerful engine, Hispano-Suiza 9Vb 670ch. The design of the ventral
console is also reviewed. and the rear gunner's position is fully
retractable. The Leo H43 receives an additional machine gun in the
right front fender and bomb mounts are installed.
The first aircraft of the
series did not fly until July 1939, nearly five years after the
first flight of the prototype ... The Leo H43 is already out of
date when it arrives in active units ... The first unit equipped
will be the Escadrille 3S5, based in Hyères, which will receive
6 copies from February 1940. Escadrille 3S1, based in Saint-Mandrier
will receive 9 copies, and the last LeO H43 will be stored on the
pond of Berre. The last aircraft delivered will only fly on May
3, 1940!
These aircrafts will serve
little. From August 1940, the two units, now 7S and 11S, will receive
new aircraft, sometimes Older Gourdou-Leseurre GL 812 ... and the
H43 LéO will be stored at the pond of Berre, and will be
destroyed after the invasion of the free zone by the Germans in
1942.
