Potez 42
Potez · France · first flew 1930 · light aircraft
The Potez 42 was designed and built in 1930 to meet a French government requirement for a small air ambulance capable of operating in the colonies. It did not reach production.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.94 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Low cantilever wing in three parts with strongly straight-tapered outer panels and semi-elliptical tips
- Pilot in an open cockpit over the wing with a port side door
- Patient compartment behind the cockpit under a one-piece removable fairing with a window on each side
A wooden low-wing air ambulance with a tailplane mounted well forward on a cropped triangular fin and fixed tailwheel landing gear.
Specifications
- The Potez 42 has a length of 7.94 m (26 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.84 m (42 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 185 km/h (115 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The requirement was for evacuating a single ill or wounded patient to hospital from roughly prepared sites in the colonies. The first flights were made in the first week of August 1930, and Potez's chief test pilot Labouchière found the initial handling satisfactory.
Variants
There were no variants: only one was built.
Where you'll see it
It was powered by a 120 hp Salmson 9Ac nine-cylinder radial engine. The patient was lowered into the aircraft on a stretcher guided by rails into four elastic supports.
Related aircraft
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