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02/28/2008. This four-engined flying boat was designed to specifications issued in 1934 by the Ministère de l'Air for a flying boat suitable for use by Air France on the South-Atlantic route from Dakar (Senegal) to Natal (Brazil). A prototype was ordered on August 10, 1935, while built at the Argenteuil plant, it was transported in segments to Antibes for final assembly. Of all-metal construction the aircraft was powered by four 880 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Ydrs twelfe-cylinder liquid-cooled V-engines, mounted in tandem pairs. The cylinder seen slung under the wing close to the fuselage is one of two thrust augmentation radiator-exhaust pods, an innovative feature to counter the extravagant overheating of the engines. First flight took place on July 25, 1936, with test pilots Lucien Bourdin and Jacques Lecarme at the controls. When the manufacturers' trials were completed on January 21, 1937, performance had proven to exceeded specifications, and on March 1, 1937, Air France ordered 5 production examples, to be designated LeO H-470 and registered F-AQOA to F-AQOE (c/n 1 to 5). The prototype was lost on May 19, 1937, when on take off the hull bottom sustained a fatigue failure, took in water and subsequently sank. Despite this, the Air France order was not cancelled. The Lioré et Olivier company was merged into SNCASE (Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud-Est) in late 1937 but the aircraft were still designated LeO H-470 and the first flew July 23, 1938. However, outbreak of WW II prevented the aircraft being delivered to the airline, instead they served with the French Navy as long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, serialed as E11-1 to E11-5. The last was withdrawn from use by August 1943, due to lack of spares.