Potez XVIII
Henry Potez · France · first flew 1922 · airliner
The Potez XVIII was a French airliner of the early 1920s, a three-engined biplane carrying up to twelve passengers.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 3 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 14.8 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Three-engined unequal-span biplane of mostly wooden construction
- Rectangular-plan fabric-covered wings
- Outboard engines in nacelles between the wings, cradled by V-form interplane struts, with a third engine in the nose
Each passenger had a window, and a central passageway led to a toilet and luggage compartment at the rear. The pilot and engineer sat side by side in an open cockpit ahead of the upper wing.
Specifications
- The Potez XVIII has a length of 14.8 m (49 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 22 m (72 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 195 km/h (121 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was a development of the Potez X colonial transport and was displayed at the 1922 Paris Salon. It first flew on 5 December 1922, and flight testing continued into the spring of 1924.
Variants
Only one was built. It was developed into the very similar Potez XXII, with more powerful Bristol Jupiter engines and a longer nose.
Where you'll see it
The French government bought it but it was never put into production. It had three Lorraine 8Bd water-cooled V-8 engines.
Related aircraft
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