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Catalogue number 131048 Caudron G3 floatplane With a short crew nacelle and single nose engine, the G3 of 1913-1914 was a reconnaissance aircraft initially with wing warping for lateral control. The wheeled version was sold to many countries and a float version trainer was made for the Chinese. 14cm x 9cm Matt gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 131113 Gourdou-Leseurre on the catapult Floatplane on its catapult whilst the French cruiser is underway, note the elaborated cover for the engine. 11.3cm x 8cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 121084 Gourdou-Leseurre GL832 Two crew getting ready for a catapult launch. A smiling pilot, note the sturdy headrest to cope with whiplash of the head during catapulting. Verso:"22nd January 1937, from our special envoy. Major naval manoeuvres. The Atlantic fleet is operating at present off the coast of French West Africa and is testing the latest technical progress of its equipment. The floatplane, piloted by Lieutenat de vaisseau Tellier, is ready to be catapulted" in French 15.9cm x 12cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 103054 Gourdou-Leseurre G812 on take-off A crew of three: pilot, gunner with scarff ring and navigator/observer. Verso:"Toulon 1934" in light blue ink 14cm x 8.5cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 103055 Gourdou-Leseurre GL812 This Goudrou-Leseurre is flying off the islands near Marseille, pilot, gunner and navigator/observer. Verso:"1932" 13.9cm x 8.7cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 134049 Gourdou-Leseurre moored to buoy Photograph taken at Cherbourg, note the Breguet and destroyers in the background. Verso: Franked 1924 13.4cm x 8.3cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 126097 Prototype Dewoitine H780 in the workshop The Armistice of 1940 put an end to the development of this floatplane derived from the land-based Dewoitine D520 of which the French Aeronavale had several examples. Only one H780 was made and it never flew. Note handrail on the fusalage by the cockpit. Credt: PhotoArchives U.P.E. 11.8cm x 6.8cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 126096 Dewoitine HD730 The prototype reconnaisance floatplane, armed with two 7.5mm machine guns, to be embarked on warships of the French Navy. Note twin tail and inverted gullwing wings, aircraft on launching trolly. The two prototypes flew in 1940 but, as for the H780, the Armistice eventually brought further develpment to a halt. Credt: PhotoArchives U.P.E. 11.7cm x 6.4cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 136075 Latecoere 29 on the Etang de Berre A torpedo bomber from the 1930s, this version has the Hispano-Suiza engine but the aircraft was already obsolete at the beginning of the war. Note the rear gunner's turret. The first production Latecoere 29s went to the 4TI squadron at Berre, South of France. Verso:"Latecoere on the apron at Berre" in French and in light pencil 6.2cm x 4.5cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 94097 Heinkel He 60 From the outset in 1933, the He 60 was under-powered and suffered from a lack of performance in part due to its solid construction (and as a consequence its small useful load) to face the demanding conditions of imposed rough water requirements in the German Navy specification. By 1939, the better-performing Arado 196 was taking its place as the shipboard floatplane. Verso:"Heinkel sea reconnaissance He 60 of the German Navy" in Dutch 14.8cm x 10.4cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 100009 Two-man crew of a Heinkel He 60 The crew on the float seems wary about getting his shoes wet. Note the barrel of the rear machine gun pointing towards the tail. 14cm x 8.7cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 88 Arado Ar 196 floatplane After the failure to improve the performance of catapultable Heinkel He 60, the Arado Ar 196 became the standard reconnaissance observation floatplane for the German Navy in World War Two. The large canopy gave a good all-round view and two 7.92mm MG 17 machine guns, one in the starboard forward fuselage (note blister in this photograph) and a second on a movable mounting in the cockpit provided only a moderate defence against attack. As experience was gained in operations, the armament was improved. Noting the arrangment of the float struts, the aircraft in this photograph appears to be an Ar 196A-3 but still with the two MG17s. 35cm x 26.2cm Matt gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 30042 The successful Heinkel 115 This large German torpedo bmber/reconnaissance/minelaying floatplane was considered by some as the most successful floatplane of the Second World War because of its stability even a low speeds, performance and good water handling qualities. Verso:"Multi-purpose seaplane Heinkel He 115" in German and typed text Credit: Publisher Noraweno 12.3cm x 8.5cm Matt gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 68067 Heinkel He 115 Seen from above, we can appreciate the important wing surface of the He 115 - span 22.5m, wing area 86.7m². Note the crewman on the port wing with the aircraft taxiing and the ladders from the floats to the fuselage. We can see a 7.9mm machine gun at the rear of the cockpit, as Allied fighter performance increased, the defensive armament of the He 115 was improved with more machine guns and a 20mm cannon in the nose. Credit: Droppel 13cm x 8.3cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 128015 Hawker Osprey onboard Swedish cruiser Gottland, 1938 Gottland was something of a hybrid cruiser with the latter part of the deck dedicated to storage, launching and the recovery of Hawker Osprey floatplanes. There is some controversy as to who built these floatplanes. Some say that the eight aircraft were built under licence in Sweden and were powered by Swedish Pegasus engines built under licence from Britain (see Internet for "The Story of Sweden's Hawker S9 Ospreys"). Sturtivant and Crown give the aircraft as "Overseas Production 8 built under licence" in the major reference work "Fleet Air Arm Aircraft, Units and Ships 1920 to 1939". The most likely explanation comes from Mason (Hawker Aircraft since 1920) who indicates that the Swedish Government ordered four Bristol Pegasus-engined Ospreys in 1933 for the future aircraft-carrying cruiser Gottland and being delivered in 1935. A second series of Ospreys was built under licence in Sweden. Note the spare float by the starboard guard rail and the rail tracks for moving aircraft to and from the stern catapult. Verso:"Swedish battleship(sic) 12 June 1938" in French and in light blue ink 11.8cm x 6.7cm Matt gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 135074 Hawker Osprey K3629 K3629 has just been catapulted of the Royal Navy cruiser H.M.S. Sussex, note how the forward supports of the trolly have folded down to release the floatplane. Sussex was on an Australian cruise 1934 when K3629 was attributed to her. Verso:"HMS Sussex The seaplane just as she has been catapulted" in light pencil 13.4cm x 8.3cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 35091 Hawker Osprey S1681, 1933 S1681, delivered 1932, had interchangeable wheels or Short F.45 floats, she is seen here flying over H.M.S. Eagle.Note sighting tube in front of the pilot and over the forward fusilage, the Osprey was armed with a forward-firing Vickers mkIII machine gun to port and a Lewis gun on a rear cockpit mounting. Credit: "Aeroplane" 13.3cm x 7.5cm Gelatin silver print

Catalogue number 35255 H.M.S. Exeter with Hawker Ospreys, K2275 and S1697 These two floatplanes were on Exeter in 1933, with no hangar, they were exposed to the elements. S1697, delivered 1933, went to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron and K2275 moved around the same squadron being with Exeter at the end of 1933. Verso:"Exeter Anglais" in black ink 9cm x 14cm Matt gelatine print

Catalogue number 142041 Dutch Fokker C14 W This is a photograph of the first production Fokker C14 W reconnaissance and trainer floatplane F1 of 1939, armed with two 7.9mm machine guns, one fixed forward-firing and a second trainable in the observer's cockpit. Verso:"Light reconnaissance seaplane Fokker C 14 W" in Dutch 13.7cm x 9 cm Gelatin silver print