Inter-Wars

Potez 27

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Representing an intermediate stage between the Potez XV and Potez 25, despite its later type number, the Potez XXVII appeared in 1924. It was a two-seat biplane in the A.2 observation category and combined the engine, fuselage, fin, rudder and cross-axle landing gear of the Potez XV with a tailplane, balanced elevator and unequal-span wings similar to those of the Potez 25.

The type was built for export only, Poland obtaining 20 machines in 1925 and subsequently building 155 under licence at the P.W.S. works; some were still serving as trainers in 1936. Romania also procured 30 Potez XXVII aircraft in 1926.

Engine: 1 x Lorraine 12Db, 298kW
Wingspan: 12.89 m / 42 ft 3 in
Max. speed: 212 km/h / 132 mph
Armament: 2 x 7.7mm machine-guns, up to 200kg of bombs

Potez 26

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Essentially a single-seat fighter version of the Potez 25 two-seat army co-operation aircraft, the Potez 26 was, in fact, the first to fly, commencing its test programme in August 1924. A single-bay, staggered sesquiplane with a narrow-chord lower wing and inclined N-type interplane struts, the Potez 26 was of wooden construction with fabric covering, and was designed to accept either Lorraine-Dietrich or Hispano-Suiza engines. The sole prototype was powered by a 450hp Hispano-Suiza 12Ha water-cooled 12-cylinder engine and its armament consisted of two synchronised 7.7mm machine guns. No series production was undertaken.

Max take-off weight: 1550 kg / 3417 lb
Empty weight: 1100 kg / 2425 lb
Wingspan: 12.00 m / 39 ft 4 in
Length: 8.00 m / 26 ft 3 in
Height: 3.15 m / 10 ft 4 in
Wing area: 32.00 sq.m / 344.44 sq ft
Max. speed: 250 km/h / 155 mph

Potez 26

Potez 25

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The Potez 25 was developed from the Potez 24 A.2-category prototype, which had been designed by Louis Coroller and flown in 1924. The refined Potez 25 prototype was built at the new Potez factory at Meaulte and flew for the first time in early 1925. An unequal-span biplane, the Potez 25 had an engine mounting capable of taking a wide variety of powerplants in the 298kW to 447kW range. The carefully contoured fuselage accommodated pilot and observer/gunner close together in tandem cockpits beneath a cut-out in the trailing edge of the upper wing centre section. The new cross-axle landing gear had specially designed Potez shock absorbers.
In all, 87 variants of the type were developed for military and civil use, and over 3,500 examples were built in France, most at the Potez factory.

Others under licence by A.N.F. Les Mureaux and Hanriot. Abroad, 300 Potez 25s were licence-built in Poland, 200 in Yugoslavia, 70 in Romania and 27 in Portugal. At the IAR Brasov plant, the production of 250 Potez XXVs, made of Canadian timber, was preceded by 30 Morane Saulnier MS.35 EP2s.

Other countries which used French-built aircraft included China, where the type was used against the Japanese; Paraguay, where it operated against the Bolivian air arm; Uruguay; Greece; Ethiopia, which flew a small number against the invading Italian troops in 1935; Switzerland, which retained the type in service until 1940; and Estonia. In addition test examples were sold to the Soviet Union and some dozen other countries. Many of the exported and licence-built Potez 25s were of the B.2 two-seat light bomber version.

Civil Potez 25s with Lorraine engines were used by Aeropostale and its assodated companies in South America for regular mail flights over the Andes, and also by the Caudron and Hanriot flying schools. The Compagnie Francaise d’Aviation used Salmson-powered Potez 25s for training.

During the late 1920’s, Poland built under license 300 Potez 25 as its primary bomber. In September 1939, the survivors were all devoted to training duties only.

Gallery

Potez 25 TOE
Engine: 1 x Lorraine 12Eb broad-arrow, 335kW
Max take-off weight: 2500 kg / 5512 lb
Loaded weight: 1510 kg / 3329 lb
Wingspan: 14.14 m / 46 ft 5 in
Length: 9.10 m / 30 ft 10 in
Height: 3.67 m / 12 ft 0 in
Wing area: 47.0 sq.m / 505.90 sq ft
Max. speed: 208 km/h / 129 mph
Ceiling: 5800 m / 19050 ft
Range: 1260 km / 783 miles
Armament: 3 x 7.7mm machine-guns, 200kg of bombs

L 25 A-2 Jupiter
Engine: Cosmos Bristol Jupiter 9b, 414 hp
Length: 29.528 ft / 9.0 m
Height: 11.647 ft / 3.55 m
Wingspan: 46.391 ft / 14.14 m
Wing area: 498.05 sq.ft / 46.27 sq.m
Max take off weight: 4187.3 lb / 1899.0 kg
Weight empty: 2423.3 lb / 1099.0 kg
Max. weight carried: 1764.0 lb / 800.0 kg
Max. speed: 116 kts / 215 km/h
Initial climb rate: 846.46 ft/min / 4.30 m/s
Service ceiling: 23622 ft / 7200 m
Wing loading: 8.41 lb/sq.ft / 41.0 kg/sq.m
Range: 270 nm / 500 km
Endurance: 3 h
Crew: 2
Armament: 2 x mg + bombs

Potez 23

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During 1923, the design team led by Louis Coroller initiated work on two fundamentally similar aircraft in parallel, the Potez 23 single-seat fighter and the Potez 24 two-seat army co-operation aircraft. Differing primarily dimensionally, these were fabric-covered unequal-span, single-bay biplanes of wooden construction, with provision for interchangeable Lorraine-Dietrich and Hispano-Suiza engines. Powered by a 400hp Lorraine-Dietrich 12Db water-cooled 12-cylinder engine, the Potez 23 carried an armament of two fixed forward-firing 7.7mm machine guns and was flown early in 1924. Whereas the Potez 24 provided a basis for the highly successful Potez 25, development of the Potez 23 was discontinued, only a single prototype being tested.

Max take-off weight: 1540 kg / 3395 lb
Empty weight: 1115 kg / 2458 lb
Wingspan: 10.50 m / 34 ft 5 in
Length: 7.60 m / 25 ft 11 in
Height: 3.12 m / 10 ft 3 in
Wing area: 32.00 sq.m / 344.44 sq ft
Max. speed: 225 km/h / 140 mph

Potez 23

Potez XV

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A successful private venture design by Louis Coroller, the Potez XV two-seat observation biplane was displayed at the Paris Salon de I’Aeronautique in 1921. Powered by a 276kW Lorraine 12D engine, later replaced by a 224kW Renault 12Fe, the Potez XV prototype performed well and gained official approval in the H.2 (two-seat observation) category. Large orders were received from the Aeronautique Militaire and first deliveries began towards the end of 1923. Series aircraft had the Lorraine 12Db engine and retained the configuration of the original machine, with conventional cross-axle landing gear, and were largely of wooden construction with metal panelling covering the forward fuselage and fabric over the remainder.
The Potez XV was exported widely, eight going to Denmark, 12 to Spain, 120 to Romania and 30 of a slightly modified version, designated Potez XVII, to Bulgaria. In addition, a sample batch exported to Poland was followed by 135 aircraft licence-built in that country.

Potez XI

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Designed to meet the demands of a CAP (Chasse Armee Protection) 2 requirement formulated in 1919 by the newly-appointed Directeur de l’Aeronautique, General Duval, the Potez XI was a two-seater intended to fulfil bomber intercept and tactical reconnaissance at Army Corps level, and escort fighter tasks.

The specification called for the use of a turbo-supercharged engine, and the Potez XI, which appeared in 1922, was powered by a 370hp Lorraine-Dietrich 12D water-cooled 12-cylinder engine equipped with a Rateau turbo-supercharger. Competing with the Hanriot HD.15, the Potez XI had a fabric-covered light alloy structure and was an equi-span two-bay biplane with over-hung ailerons on the lower wing.

Armament comprised two fixed forward-firing 7.7mm machine guns and two similar weapons on a swivelling mount in the rear cockpit. The inadequacies of then-current steels to withstand prolonged operation of exhaust-driven turbo-superchargers led to cancellation of the CAP2 programme and development of the Potez XI was discontinued.

Max take-off weight: 2000 kg / 4409 lb
Empty weight: 1350 kg / 2976 lb
Wingspan: 12.70 m / 42 ft 8 in
Length: 9.08 m / 30 ft 9 in
Wing area: 46.20 sq.m / 497.29 sq ft
Max. speed: 220 km/h / 137 mph

Potez VIII

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The prototype Potez VIII two-seat tourer/ elementary trainer was first flown on 9 April 1920, powered by a specially designed Potez engine, the 37kW Potez A 4. A light unequal-span biplane, the Potez VIII had four-wheel landing gear, the tailskid being used for landings only. The A 4 engine was a complete failure and plans were made to produce 100 series aircraft powered by the 52kW Anzani 6Ab radial. Versions built included the Potez VIII A of 1922 with the 60kW Anzani 6 A3 engine and two-wheel conventional landing gear; five were built, two of them later being converted to Potez VIII configuration and one as the Potez VIII H central-float seaplane, built especially for a wealthy Marseilles businessman.

Engine: 1 x Anzani 6Ab radial, 52kW
Max tak-off weight: 470 kg / 1036 lb
Loaded weight: 240 kg / 529 lb
Wingspan: 8.0 m / 26 ft 3 in
Length: 5.72 m / 19 ft 9 in
Wing area: 20.0 sq.m / 215.28 sq ft
Max. speed: 142 km/h / 88 mph
Ceiling: 4000 m / 13100 ft

Potez, Henry / Societe d’Etudes Aeronautiques

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Founded in 1916 as Societe d’Etudes Aeronautiques at Aubevillers. Made series of two-seat biplanes, notably SEA 4 reconnaissance aircraft and SEA 7, the latter a “limousine” first flown December 1919. Built a two-seat tractor biplane, the Type 4C.2.

Post-war the company became known as Henry Potez and established itself as a major French aircraft manufacturer with a long series of civil and military aircraft.

Starting in 1920 and starting with a small 50 hp engine derived from the automobile, the Potez company manufactured a range of engines of various powers from 60 hp to 410 hp, including a series based on the Anzani radial engine, whose company Potez bought, based in Courbevoie.

In France, the Socialist Government of the so called Popular Front brought all the companies building military aircraft, aero engines and ar¬mament under its control in 1936. The im¬mediate result was the socialized oblivion of such established companies as Marcel Bloch, Bleriot, Nieuport, Potez, Dewoitine, Hanriot and Farman within half a dozen nationalized groups or Societies Nationales, named ac¬cording to their geographical location (Nord, Ouest, Centre, Midi and so on).

In 1937 Potez, with Liore-et-Olivier, and Romano, became part of the nationalized French aircraft industry in the SNCAN group.

At that time it was producing the 56 twin-engine light transport, the 63 fighter-bomber and the Potez-CAMS 141 four-engine reconnaissance flying-boat, together with prototypes of the 661 12-passenger four-engine monoplane and the Potez-CAMS 160 six-engine flying-boat, a scale model of the proposed Type 161 transatlantic flying-boat.
For 16 years the company was not involved in aviation, but in 1953 produced the Potez 75 single-engine twin-boom ground-attack aircraft, built by SNCAN. A contract for 500 for the French Army was awarded in 1956, but was canceled later because of military cutbacks.

Took over Air-Fouga in 1958, and continued production of that company’s Magister jet trainer. Built two prototype turboprop transports, Potez 840, flying first in 1961. Proposed versions were 841 with PT6A engines and 842 with Astazou Xs, but production did not proceed beyond six aircraft. Also built Paris III twin-jet executive aircraft developed by Morane-Saulnier. Potez was absorbed by Sud Aviation in 1967, which in turn became part of Aerospatiale in 1970.

Post, Tooma & Org PTO-4

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In 1938, the Estonian aviation engineers Voldemar Post, Rein Tooma and Otto Org, previously responsible for the PON-1 trainer, designed and built the PTO-4 training aircraft. It was a two-seat low-winged monoplane powered by a De Havilland Gypsy of 120 hp, with a fixed undercarriage that could be fitted with wheels or skis. The aircraft could fly at a maximum speed of 245 km per hour and had a ceiling of 5,000 meters. On 12 October 1938, the PTO-4 was taken into service of the Air Force.

The Estonian Air Force received two PTO-4s (serial numbers 161 and 162), one with an open cockpit and the other an enclosed cockpit. Six examples were in civil use, of which five were used by the Eesti Aeroklubi (EAK), a flying club controlled by the Estonian Military.

Four examples surviving from the Soviet occupation of Estonia (1940–41) were operated by the German Luftwaffe, being operated by a unit manned by Estonian volunteers (initially called Sonderstaffel Buschmann and later 1./SAGr.127) based at Reval-Ülemiste airfield. They were operated as training and liaison aircraft as well for coastal patrol over the shores of the Baltic.