Gourdou-Leseurre GL-812 HY

The Gourdou-Leseurre GL-812 HY was a 3-seat reconnaissance floatplane, built by Gourdou-Leseurre.

Development
The prototype, called L-2, was built in 1926-27. It has a steel tube fuselage, and rectangular wooden wing. The tail was two fins, one above and one below the fuselage. The entire plane was fabric covered, except the 283 kW Gnome-Rhône 9A Jupiter engine, which was left uncowled. The prototype was flown to Copenhagen, and demonstrated there to several countries.

Six prototype L-3s were constructed. They had a larger 313 kW Jupiter, steel spars instead of wood, and stronger struts, allowing for shipboard catapult launching. After successfully testing the L-3, the French navy ordered 14 production GL-810 HY aircraft. The first production 810 HY flew on 23 September 1930, taking off from the Seine at Les Mureaux. In 1931, 20 GL-811 HYs were ordered, for operation from the seaplane carrier Commandant Teste and from 1933 to 1934 twenty-nine GL-812 HYs and thirteen GL-813 HYs were ordered.

Variants

 * Gourdou-Leseurre L-2
 * The initial prototype of the catapult-launched floatplane observation aircraft.


 * Gourdou-Leseurre L-3
 * Six prototype development aircraft with revised structure.


 * Gourdou-Leseurre GL-810 HY
 * Initial production - 24 produced for Aeronavale.


 * Gourdou-Leseurre GL-811 HY
 * Developed version - 20 built from 1931.


 * Gourdou-Leseurre GL-812 HY
 * 29 built 1933-34.


 * Gourdou-Leseurre GL-813 HY
 * 13 built.

Operators

 * French Navy
 * French Navy

Units using this aircraft

 * Escadrille 7S2 (Commandant Teste)
 * Escadrille 7S3 (spread among various cruisers)
 * Escadrilles 1S1, 2S1, 2S4, 3S1, 3S2, 3S3, 3S6, 8S2, 8S5.

While most aircraft had been retired by 1939, that August the remaining aircraft were brought together to re-equip the recently re-activated and mobilized Escadrilles 1S2 and 3S3 at Cherbourg and Berre-l'Étang, respectively and perform coastal anti-submarine patrols.