Potez 53
Potez · France · first flew 1933 · light aircraft
The Potez 53 is a French low-wing single-seat cantilever monoplane racing aircraft built by Groupe Potez to compete in the 1933 Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe, which it won outright.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 5.4 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Low-wing cantilever racing monoplane with an enclosed cockpit
- Air-cooled supercharged nine-cylinder Potez 9B radial engine
- Undercarriage that retracts outwards into the undersides of the wings
A compact low-wing racer with an enclosed cockpit and a two-bladed fixed-pitch propeller. Its tailskid is fixed.
Specifications
- The Potez 53 has a length of 5.4 m (18 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.65 m (22 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 356 km/h (221 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was powered by a Potez 9B radial engine designed for the competition, which limited displacement to 8 litres. The primary structure and covering were of wood.
Variants
The Potez 533 was built with various improvements for the 1934 race, and one of the original aircraft was refurbished as the Potez 532. Three Potez 53 were built.
Where you'll see it
Georges Détré won the 1933 race over the 2,000 km course at an average speed of 323 km/h. In 1934 neither Potez completed the race. The winning aircraft is preserved at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.