Did you know…
Which seaplane was carried aboard the largest French submarine?
Short answer
The Besson MB.411, a French two-seat observation and spotting seaplane designed by Besson. The French Navy needed an observation aircraft for its new submarine Surcouf and commissioned this production version; the aircraft was specifically designed to be housed in a cylindrical hangar behind the submarine's conning tower.
An aircraft for a submarine's hangar
The Besson MB.411 was a French two-seat observation and spotting seaplane designed by Besson. The French Navy needed an observation aircraft for its new submarine Surcouf and commissioned a production version, designated MB.411. It was specifically designed to be housed in a cylindrical hangar located at the rear of the Surcouf's conning tower. It could be assembled, with the wings fitted, in about four minutes, and in open sea in up to twenty.
Configuration and origin
It was a low-wing monoplane with a single large central float and two small stabilising floats beneath the wing. Its structure combined wood and metal, covered with fabric. Earlier, in 1932, Besson had created the MB.410 by replacing the two floats of the MB.35 with a single main float and two auxiliary floats placed somewhat inboard of the wingtips. The MB.411 first flew at Le Mureau in June 1935.
The aircraft's fate
It was damaged at Plymouth in April 1941 during a Luftwaffe bombing raid. It was scrapped at RAF Mount Batten, after becoming unserviceable due to a lack of spare parts.
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