The Latécoère 24 was a French three-engined parasol winged flying boat, built in 1927 to test the longer stretches of the South Atlantic crossing.
One obvious route from France's colonial possessions in West Africa and the Brazilian mainland involved a 1,400 mi ( 2,250 km) flight due south, from the Cape Verde Islands to Fernando de Noronha, as its greatest step.
Struts direct from wing to fuselage strengthened the centre section, supported the engines and transferred their loads.
[1] Seen side on, the Latécoère 24's fuselage was slender and elegant, yet from below it was broad beamed to match the stubby wings.
The tail unit had a wide chord rounded fin that carried a nearly semi-circular rudder and a tailplane at mid height to keep it clear of the water.
[1] The Latécoère 24 flew for the first time from Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque at the end of 1927, crewed by pilot Prévot and engineer Hoff.
Overall, the aircraft was some 10% heavier than had been calculated in the contract, and as a result speed, range and altitude were below the expected values.