 In 1933, the French Navy issued a specification for a single-seat seaplane fighter capable of being operated from the catapults of its Cruisers and Battleships.To meet this requirement, the Chantiers aéronavals Étienne Romano designed a floatplane, the Romano R.90, with designs also being prepared by Loire, Bernard and Potez.Unlike the other three designs, the R.90 was a biplane.