Potez 37
Aéroplanes Henry Potez · France · first flew 1930 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Potez 37 was a French two-seat, long-range reconnaissance aircraft built to compete for a government contract. It was an all-metal parasol monoplane powered by a Hispano-Suiza V-12.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 10.285 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Three-part parasol wing with a small centre section on N-form cabane struts and outer panels on parallel pairs of struts, all in aerofoil-section fairings
- Rounded cut-out in the centre-section trailing edge to improve the pilot's upward view
- Close-fitting sheet metal engine cowling following the V-12 cylinder banks, with a curved transverse Lamblin radiator beneath
A parasol-wing two-seater with a strut-braced wing, a close-cowled V-12 engine and a short, truncated conical rear fuselage.
Specifications
- The Potez 37 has a length of 10.285 m (34 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.2 m (47 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 264 km/h (164 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The French R.2 specification of 1928 called for an all-metal two-seat reconnaissance aircraft and led to prototypes from eight manufacturers, including the Potez 37. It flew in mid-1930 but did not win the competition.
Variants
Only two were completed. The specification required every entrant to use a single Hispano-Suiza 12Nb water-cooled V-12 engine, rated at 680 hp in the Potez 37.
Where you'll see it
The aircraft was normally flown from the forward cockpit, with the observer seated close behind with a flexible machine gun mounting and flying controls. It was not ordered into production.
Related aircraft
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