Potez 39
Potez · France · first flew 1930 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Potez 39 was a two-seat, single-engined parasol-wing reconnaissance and observation aircraft built by Potez. It was the company's first all-metal aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 10 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Parasol wing of elongated rectangular shape with well-rounded tips
- Single Hispano-Suiza 12H V-12 engine in the nose
- Two-seat observation aircraft of all-metal construction
Look for a parasol monoplane with a rectangular wing carried above the fuselage, a V-12 engine in the nose and a conventional fin and rudder.
Specifications
- The Potez 39 has a length of 10 m (33 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16 m (52 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 249 km/h (155 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed to a 1928 specification for an aircraft to replace the Potez 25 and Breguet 19 in the observation role. The prototype first flew in January 1930, and was runner-up to the Breguet 27 but was still selected for production.
Variants
France received 100 Potez 390 aircraft, while 12 Potez 391 powered by a Lorraine-Dietrich 12H engine were built for Peru. Potez also proposed a floatplane version.
Where you'll see it
The type equipped seven observation squadrons at the outbreak of the Second World War. The French Air Force then withdrew it rapidly from front-line service and used it as a trainer until the June 1940 armistice.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.