Potez 43

Potez · France · first flew 1932 · light aircraft

The Potez 43 was a four-seat French touring monoplane of the early 1930s, notable for its clean braced high-wing design and enclosed cabin.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Clean oval-section fuselage with enclosed cabin
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Braced high-wing four-seat touring monoplane of the early 1930s
Fixed spatted undercarriage with large wheel fairings
Clean oval-section fuselage with enclosed cabin

Recognisable by its high braced wing with noticeable taper on the leading edge and almost straight trailing edge. The fixed undercarriage features prominent wheel spats. The oval-section fuselage tapers cleanly to a conventional tail unit with rounded surfaces.

Specifications

The Potez 43 has a length of 8.2 m (27 ft).
It has a wingspan of 13.1 m (43 ft).
Its maximum speed is 225 km/h (140 mph).
Typical crew: 1 + 3 passengers.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Designed by Henry Potez's company, the type appeared at the 1932 Paris Air Salon and entered limited production for the civil market. It represented a significant step forward in comfort and performance over earlier French light aircraft. A small number were exported and used in air taxi operations.

Variants

The Potez 43 spawned minor variants with different engine fits; the broadly similar Potez 36 was a slightly earlier stablemate.

Where you'll see it

Used mainly by French private owners and small air-taxi operators through the 1930s; some examples remained in service into the early years of World War II.

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