The Latécoère 631 was designed to give France preeminence in the competition between nations for international air services in the 1930s. However, when it entered service after WWII flying boats had become obsolete.

The Latecoere 631 was the largest flying boat to be designed in the 1930s. It’s role was to fly passengers in luxury across the Atlantic and to France’s colonies around the world.

The prototype first flew on 4 November 1942, was taken over by Germany and later destroyed.

The second Latecoere 631 (constructed from components that had been hidden during the war) flew for the first time on 15 March 1945 and ten were constructed, entering service on Air France’s international air routes.

Five were lost in accidents (probably due to problems caused by six unsynchronised engines) and they were finally withdrawn from service in 1955.

This model represents F-BDRC flying for Air France in the late 1940s.

F-Rsin 1/144 kit completed by Leigh Edmonds in April 2013.