Potez 630
Encyclopedia
The Potez
630 and its derivatives were a family of twin-engined aircraft
developed for the Armée de l'Air in the late 1930s. The design was a contemporary of the British Bristol Blenheim
and the German Messerschmitt Bf 110
.
heavy fighter
specification which also resulted in the successful Breguet 690 series of attack aircraft. The prototype first flew in 1936
and proved to have excellent handling qualities.
The Potez 630 was a twin engine, monoplane, fully metallic three-seater with efficient aerodynamic lines and twin tailplanes. The long glasshouse hosted the pilot, an observer or commander who was only aboard if the mission required it, and a rear gunner who manned a single flexible light machine gun.
Only very minor changes were required and an order for 80 was placed in 1937
. Simultaneously 80 Potez 631 C3 fighters were ordered, these having Gnome-Rhône 14M
radial engines rather than the Hispano-Suiza 14AB
10/11 of the Potez 630. Fifty additional Potez 631s were ordered in 1938
of which 20 were diverted to Finland, although they never reached that country.
The Potez 633 saw only brief operational service with the Armée de l'Air in Europe when aircraft from two units undertook a sortie near Arras on May 20, 1940; two days later the aircraft was withdrawn from front-line service. The Potez 633 exported to Greece and Romania
saw more extensive service, in limited numbers. The Romanians used them against the USSR and the Greeks against Italy
. A small number of Potez 633 originally destined for China
were commandeered by the French colonial administration in Indo-China and saw limited action in the brief French-Thai War
in early 1941
.
More than 700 Potez 63.11 were delivered by June 1940, of which more than 220 were destroyed or abandoned, despite the addition of extra machine gun armament; the heaviest losses of any French type. The Potez 63.11 continued in service with the Vichy
air force and with the Free French forces in North Africa seeing action with both. Production was resumed under German control and significant numbers appear to have been impressed by the Germans, mostly in liaison and training roles.
All members of the family (possibly except the Potez 63.11) shared pleasant flying characteristics. They were well designed for easy maintenance and later models had a heavy armament for the time (up to 12 light machine guns for the Potez 63.11). They were also quite attractive aircraft. Although not heavily built they proved capable of absorbing considerable battle damage. Unfortunately the Potez 63 family, like many French aircraft of the time, simply did not have sufficiently powerful engines to endow them with an adequate performance. In the stern test of war they proved easy meat for prowling Messerschmitts, like their British contemporaries the Fairey Battle
and Bristol Blenheim
. Their similarity to the Bf 110 (twin engines, twin tail, long "glasshouse" canopy) was sufficient that some were apparently lost to "friendly fire
".
. As production tempo increased, a number of derivatives and experimental models were also developed.
cannons in gondolas under the fuselage, though sometimes one of the cannons was replaced by a MAC 1934. Later in their career, 631s received four similar light machine guns in gondolas under the outer wings, though it was theoretically possible to fit six.
Whereas the Potez 635 CN2 night fighter
project was cancelled and the Potez 63.12 C3 with Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior
radials remained a single prototype, the first batch of Potez 671 heavy fighters (derived from the Potez 670-01 prototype) were on the assembly lines when the Germans captured the SNCAN Méaulte factory near Albert
.
and Bloch MB.175. The French order for 633s was converted into an order for more 631s. The 633 was however offered for export and attracted orders from Romania, China and Greece.
One example of the Potez 632 Bp.2 dive bomber
prototype was started, but completed as a 633 however with Hispano-Suiza engines. It was sold to Switzerland for evaluation. Similarly, the single two-seat attack bomber Potez 639 AB2 prototype was converted as a standard 633.
, the Armée de l'air required the development of a derivative of the Potez 631 for this role. The observer was to be housed in a gondola under the fuselage. While particularly uncomfortable, this arrangement resulted in a Potez 637 that retained most of the qualities of the 631. 60 examples were ordered in August 1938 and delivered.
At the same time, the Armée de l'Air was desperate to re-equip its army cooperation units which had particularly antiquated equipment, but since the development of the 637, had completely changed its mind about how the observer position should be arranged. Potez was therefore required to develop a variant that, while retaining the wings, engines and tail surfaces of the 631, hosted the observer in a more conventional nose glasshouse.
Because the pilot needed to be seated above the observer, the Potez 63.11's fuselage was taller, which resulted in degraded top speed and manoeuvrability. As a result the 63.11 proved very vulnerable, despite being protected with some armour and basic self-sealing coating over the fuel tanks. As a secondary light bomber capability was part of the requirements (though it was rarely if ever used), the fuselage accommodated a tiny bomb bay, carrying up to eight 10kg-class bombs. This bomb bay was replaced by an additional fuel tank on late examples. Additionally, two 50kg-class bombs could be carried on hardpoints under the inner wings. Frontal armament was originally one, then three MAC 1934s under the nose, and many 63.11s were equipped with the same additional guns in wing gondolas as the 631s.
The first Potez 63.11 No.1 and second No.2 prototypes first flew in December 1938, and no less than 1,365 examples were on order in September 1939, of which 730 were delivered, making the 63.11 the most numerous variant of the family by far.
Vichy France
Nazi Germany
Greece
Kingdom of Romania
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Potez
Potez was a French aircraft manufacturer founded as Aéroplanes Henry Potez by Henry Potez at Aubervilliers in 1919. The firm began by refurbishing war-surplus SEA IV aircraft, but was soon building new examples of an improved version, the Potez VII...
630 and its derivatives were a family of twin-engined aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
developed for the Armée de l'Air in the late 1930s. The design was a contemporary of the British Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
and the German Messerschmitt Bf 110
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
.
Design and development
The original Potez 630 was built to meet the requirements of a 19341934 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1934:-Events:* Sir Alan Cobhams Flight Refuelling Ltd. develops the looped-hose aerial refueling system, a weighted cable let out of a tanker aircraft and grabbed by a grapnel fired from the receiving aircraft...
heavy fighter
Heavy fighter
A heavy fighter is a fighter aircraft designed to carry heavier weapons or operate at longer ranges. To achieve acceptable performance, most heavy fighters were twin-engined, and many had multi-place crews....
specification which also resulted in the successful Breguet 690 series of attack aircraft. The prototype first flew in 1936
1936 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1936:- Events :* The Royal Air Forces first monoplane bomber, the Avro Anson, enters service.*The German Luftwaffe begins experiments with helle Nachtjagd techniques, the operation of night fighters with the aid of searchlights.*The Soviet aviator...
and proved to have excellent handling qualities.
The Potez 630 was a twin engine, monoplane, fully metallic three-seater with efficient aerodynamic lines and twin tailplanes. The long glasshouse hosted the pilot, an observer or commander who was only aboard if the mission required it, and a rear gunner who manned a single flexible light machine gun.
Only very minor changes were required and an order for 80 was placed in 1937
1937 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1937:- Events :* The Hawker Hurricane enters service as the Royal Air Forces first monoplane fighter....
. Simultaneously 80 Potez 631 C3 fighters were ordered, these having Gnome-Rhône 14M
Gnome-Rhône 14M
|-See also:* Pratt & Whitney R-1535 a comparable engine sometimes fitted as an alternative to the 14M on French designs-References:* Danel, Raymond and Cuny, Jean. L'aviation française de bombardement et de renseignement 1918-1940 Docavia n°12, Editions Larivière...
radial engines rather than the Hispano-Suiza 14AB
Hispano-Suiza 14AB
The Hispano-Suiza 14AB was a 14-cylinder twin-row air-cooled radial engine. In 1929 the Hispano-Suiza company bought a license to produce the Wright Whirlwind engine. The technology from that engine was used to produce a number of different radial engines with greater displacements, power and...
10/11 of the Potez 630. Fifty additional Potez 631s were ordered in 1938
1938 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1938:- Events :* Imperial Airways inaugurates scheduled service from London to Montreal. Pan American World Airways is banned from British airports out of fears that more advanced U.S...
of which 20 were diverted to Finland, although they never reached that country.
Operational service
The Potez 630's engines proved so troublesome that most units had re-equipped with the Potez 631 before World War two began. The latter was an ineffectual interceptor, slower than some German bombers and 130 km/h slower than the Bf 109E, although it continued in service until the armistice.The Potez 633 saw only brief operational service with the Armée de l'Air in Europe when aircraft from two units undertook a sortie near Arras on May 20, 1940; two days later the aircraft was withdrawn from front-line service. The Potez 633 exported to Greece and Romania
Romanian Air Force
The Romanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade...
saw more extensive service, in limited numbers. The Romanians used them against the USSR and the Greeks against Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. A small number of Potez 633 originally destined for China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
were commandeered by the French colonial administration in Indo-China and saw limited action in the brief French-Thai War
French-Thai War
The Franco-Thai War was fought between Thailand and Vichy France over certain areas of French Indochina that had once belonged to Thailand....
in early 1941
1941 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1941:- Events :* Jackie Cochran became the first woman to fly a bomber across the Atlantic Ocean.* During the spring and summer, the Imperial Japanese Navys air arm conducts Operation 102, its second major bombing campaign against Chungking.* By early...
.
More than 700 Potez 63.11 were delivered by June 1940, of which more than 220 were destroyed or abandoned, despite the addition of extra machine gun armament; the heaviest losses of any French type. The Potez 63.11 continued in service with the Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
air force and with the Free French forces in North Africa seeing action with both. Production was resumed under German control and significant numbers appear to have been impressed by the Germans, mostly in liaison and training roles.
All members of the family (possibly except the Potez 63.11) shared pleasant flying characteristics. They were well designed for easy maintenance and later models had a heavy armament for the time (up to 12 light machine guns for the Potez 63.11). They were also quite attractive aircraft. Although not heavily built they proved capable of absorbing considerable battle damage. Unfortunately the Potez 63 family, like many French aircraft of the time, simply did not have sufficiently powerful engines to endow them with an adequate performance. In the stern test of war they proved easy meat for prowling Messerschmitts, like their British contemporaries the Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
and Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
. Their similarity to the Bf 110 (twin engines, twin tail, long "glasshouse" canopy) was sufficient that some were apparently lost to "friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
".
Variants
Unlike many contemporary French aircraft, production of the Potez aircraft was reasonably prompt and the first deliveries were effected before the end of 1938. The 63 has been designed with mass production in mind and as a result, one Potez 630 was cheaper and faster to manufacture than one Morane-Saulnier M.S.406Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
The M.S.406 was a French Armée de l'Air fighter aircraft built by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938. Numerically it was France's most important fighter during the opening stages of World War II....
. As production tempo increased, a number of derivatives and experimental models were also developed.
Fighter variants
A typical feature of the 630 and 631 was the frontal armament, which originally consisted in two 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404Hispano-Suiza HS.404
The Hispano-Suiza HS.404 was an autocannon widely used as both an aircraft and land weapon in the 20th century by British, American, French, and numerous other military services. The cannon is also referred to as Birkigt type 404, after its designer. Firing a 20 mm caliber projectile, it delivered...
cannons in gondolas under the fuselage, though sometimes one of the cannons was replaced by a MAC 1934. Later in their career, 631s received four similar light machine guns in gondolas under the outer wings, though it was theoretically possible to fit six.
Whereas the Potez 635 CN2 night fighter
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
project was cancelled and the Potez 63.12 C3 with Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior
Pratt & Whitney R-1535
|-See also:* Pratt & Whitney Wasp series* R-985 Wasp Junior* R-1340 Wasp* R-1830 Twin Wasp* R-2800 Double Wasp* R-4360 Wasp Major-Bibliography:...
radials remained a single prototype, the first batch of Potez 671 heavy fighters (derived from the Potez 670-01 prototype) were on the assembly lines when the Germans captured the SNCAN Méaulte factory near Albert
Albert, Somme
Albert is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is located about halfway between Amiens and Bapaume.-History:Albert was founded as a Roman outpost called Encre, in about 54 BC...
.
Prototypes
The Potez 63.01 and 630.01 were the first two prototypes, as well as the Potez 630 CN.2 No.01 night-fighter prototype, plus the first Gnome-Rhone powered Potez 631.01 prototype.Trainer variants
A dual control trainer aircraft derivative of the 630 was proposed as the Potez 634, but the Armée de l'air instead chose to put a small order on its conversion with Gnome-Rhône engines, which was simply designated as Potez 631 Ins (for instruction). The Potez 63.16 T3 was a crew trainer derivative of the 63.11 with different, larger wings. Only one prototype was built.Bomber variants
The Potez 633 B2 was designed to fulfil a requirement for a two-seated, light level bomber. The Potez 633 retained the fuselage, wings and engines of the 631 but the observer's position and cannon gondolas were deleted and a small bomb bay was added between the pilot and rear gunner. Front armament consisted of a single light machine gun in the nose. The bomb bay could house eight 50kg-class or two 200kg-class bombs. There was no bombardier position, as the rear gunner was supposed to direct the bombing run through a periscopic bombsight fitted ahead of him, a disposition that proved unworkable in the field. The first Potez 633.01 two-seat bomber prototype flew in late 1937. The Armée de l'air ordered 133 Potez 633s in 1938, but two months later decided all aircraft in the light level bomber category should be 3-manned, like the Douglas DB-7Douglas DB-7
The Douglas A-20/DB-7 Havoc was a family of American attack, light bomber and night fighter aircraft of World War II, that served with several Allied air forces, principally those of the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and United States. The DB-7 was also used by the air forces of Australia, South...
and Bloch MB.175. The French order for 633s was converted into an order for more 631s. The 633 was however offered for export and attracted orders from Romania, China and Greece.
One example of the Potez 632 Bp.2 dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
prototype was started, but completed as a 633 however with Hispano-Suiza engines. It was sold to Switzerland for evaluation. Similarly, the single two-seat attack bomber Potez 639 AB2 prototype was converted as a standard 633.
Reconnaissance variants
Dissatisfied with its strategic reconnaissance aircraft such as the troublesome Bloch MB.131Bloch MB.131
|-See also:-References:* Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Seven Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft. London: Macdonald, 1967.-External links:*...
, the Armée de l'air required the development of a derivative of the Potez 631 for this role. The observer was to be housed in a gondola under the fuselage. While particularly uncomfortable, this arrangement resulted in a Potez 637 that retained most of the qualities of the 631. 60 examples were ordered in August 1938 and delivered.
At the same time, the Armée de l'Air was desperate to re-equip its army cooperation units which had particularly antiquated equipment, but since the development of the 637, had completely changed its mind about how the observer position should be arranged. Potez was therefore required to develop a variant that, while retaining the wings, engines and tail surfaces of the 631, hosted the observer in a more conventional nose glasshouse.
Because the pilot needed to be seated above the observer, the Potez 63.11's fuselage was taller, which resulted in degraded top speed and manoeuvrability. As a result the 63.11 proved very vulnerable, despite being protected with some armour and basic self-sealing coating over the fuel tanks. As a secondary light bomber capability was part of the requirements (though it was rarely if ever used), the fuselage accommodated a tiny bomb bay, carrying up to eight 10kg-class bombs. This bomb bay was replaced by an additional fuel tank on late examples. Additionally, two 50kg-class bombs could be carried on hardpoints under the inner wings. Frontal armament was originally one, then three MAC 1934s under the nose, and many 63.11s were equipped with the same additional guns in wing gondolas as the 631s.
The first Potez 63.11 No.1 and second No.2 prototypes first flew in December 1938, and no less than 1,365 examples were on order in September 1939, of which 730 were delivered, making the 63.11 the most numerous variant of the family by far.
Operators
- Armée de l'Air
- Aéronautique navaleAviation NavaleFrench Naval Aviation of the French Navy includes 206 aircraft and 6,800 men, both civilians and military personnel. They operate from six airbases, five of them in Metropolitan France and one overseas....
Vichy FranceVichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
- Armée de l'air de l'Armistice
- Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres
Nazi Germany
- LuftwaffeLuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
Greece
- Hellenic Air ForceHellenic Air ForceThe Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated to HAF is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the...
- Polish Air Forces on exile in FrancePolish Air Forces in France and Great BritainThe Polish Air Forces was a name of Polish Air Forces formed in France and the United Kingdom during World War II. The core of the Polish air units fighting alongside the allies were experienced veterans of Invasion of Poland of 1939 and they contributed to Allied victory in the Battle of Britain...
- Depot d'Instruction de l'Aviation Polonaise at Lyon-Bron operated two Potez 63.11 aircraft.
Kingdom of Romania
- Royal Romanian Air ForceRoyal Romanian Air ForceThe Forţele Aeriene Regale ale României , or simply Forţele Aeriene Române was the Air Arm of Royal Romanian forces in World War II...
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- Yugoslav Royal Air ForceYugoslav Royal Air ForceThe Yugoslav Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and existed until Yugoslavia's surrender to the Axis powers in 1941 following the Invasion of Yugoslavia during World War II....
Specifications (Potez 63.11A.3)