SNCASE SE.200 Amphitrite French Flying Boat

Originally developed as the Lioré et Olivier LeO H-49 before the nationalisation of the French aircraft industry, the SNCASE SE.200 Amphitrite was a six-engined flying boat designed to operated on the North Atlantic passenger routes. It was developed along with the Potez-CAMS 161 and Latécoère 631.

Under development at the outbreak of World War Two, the SE.200’s development was slowed with the German invasion and French capitulation. At this point, five aircraft were under construction, the first of which christened Rochambeau flew on 11 December 1942. Seized by Germany, it underwent further testing on the Bodensee. It was destroyed during a raid by Mosquitoes on 17 April 1944. A USAAF raid on 16 September 1944 on the SNCASE factory at Marignane destroyed the second prototype and badly damaged the rest.

Post war, salvage efforts enabled the third SE.200 to fly on 2 April 1946, although a hard landing in October 1949 resulted in significant damaged and it was not repaired. Plans to finish the forth aircraft were never realised and it and the fifth unit were scrapped.