Potez 62
The Potez 62 originates from the time of the consolidation of airline companies in Europe when more commercial aircraft were developed. It was a civilian development of the military type Potez 54 and took off for its maiden flight in 1935. A total of 35 machines of this type were manufactured; one of these was converted to the cruising aeroplane of the French air minister.
France used locally manufactured aeroplanes for the continuous expansion of its airlines, mostly biplanes. In 1933 the "Air France" was formed trough a combination of several companies. The Air France put the Potez 62 to service in 1935 and flew its line Paris-Milan-Rome with it. In addition it was employed in South America and in the Far East on the route from Paris to Saigon.
The Potez 62 with two engines was a metal-constructed strutted high-wing monoplane with retractable gear. The elegant looking fuselage was perfectly aerodynamically shaped. The engines were suspended in pods under the wings. The bow could be folded forward and was used for the transporting baggage and freight. The two pilots sat next to each other in a closed cockpit behind which followed two cabins for a total of 16 passengers. The machine attained a cruising speed of 280 km/h and had a range of 1,000 km.
Still in 1935 - the year of the maiden flight - the improved variant Potez 621 was presented. It was equipped with two Hispano-Suiza 12Xrs V-engines with respectively 720 HP (530 kW) and had a sweep angle of 2 degrees on the wings. In 1939 nine Potez 62 machines were re-equipped with Gnome-Rhone 12N16/17 radial engines with respectively 900 HP (662 kW).
Another 50 machines basing on the Potez 62 were manufactured with the designation Potez 650 TT for the French air force as a 14-seated troop transporter with a crew of three persons. Alternatively they could be used as ambulance aircraft for transporting six lying and four sitting wounded as well as one attendant. The military version was powered by two engines of the type Hispano-Suiza Xirs I or Hispano-Suiza 12XbrsI/grs I with respectively 720 HP (530 kW), had a substantially higher take-off weight in comparison to the civilian version and attained a top speed reduced to 300 km/h.
Technical data
Potez 62
| Type | commercial aircraft |
| Power plant | two radial Gnome-Rhone 14Kirs Mistral engines with respectively 870 HP |
| Year of construction | 1935 |
Perfomance
| Maximum speed | 325 km/h |
| Cruising speed | 280 km/h |
| Ceiling | 7,500 m |
| Range | 1,000 km |
Weight
| Construction weight | 4,895 kg |
| Max. take-off weight | 7,500 kg |
Dimensions
| Length | 17.32 m |
| Height | 3.90 m |
| Wing area | 76 qm |
| Span | 22.45 m |
| Crew | 2 pilots | |
| Useful load |
1,580 kg, 16 passengers |
