The Levasseur PL.7 and PL.10 show a French effort to combine torpedo, reconnaissance, and carrier work while retaining older aircraft longer than intended. A reported five-hour PL.7 climb-to-altitude figure remains doubtful despite recurring in several references. Béarn's delayed replacement weakened the incentive to buy a new air group for an old carrier. Béarn joining the Allies or Free French forces was one of several naval-aviation contingencies that could have produced a different operational picture.
Chapter · 44:24-55:21
French carrier aircraft and the Béarn what-if
French carrier aircraft reveal the costs of delayed carrier replacement and the unrealized possibility of Béarn serving with the Allies.