Potez 452
| Potez 452 | |
|---|---|
 The Potez 450 prototype exhibited at the 1932 Paris Aérosalon |
|
| Type: | Airborne reconnaissance flying boat |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1932 |
| Commissioning: |
1935 |
| Production time: |
1935-1937 |
| Number of pieces: |
16 |
The Potez 452 is a French flying boat of the 1930s that was used by the country's navy as a catapultable on-board aircraft .
development
The Potez 452 was designed as a light reconnaissance flying boat that was supposed to operate from smaller ships. The prototype of the 54 series, the Potez 450 , was built from 1931 and made its maiden flight in April 1932. In the same year it was presented to the public at the Aérosalon in Paris. The subsequent flight tests were extremely unsatisfactory and only after extensive improvements to the hull boat, support and tail unit and the installation of a more powerful drive, the French Navy placed an initial series order for ten aircraft three years later, which were produced until spring 1936 and entered service as the Potez 452 were asked. A short time later, the order was expanded to include a further six pieces, which, like the previous series, were manufactured in the CAMS factory in Sartrouville and delivered by 1937.
The Potez 452 was mainly used on light cruisers , where, in addition to reconnaissance, it was also used for other purposes such as fire control of ship artillery , the laying of smoke screens and as a liaison aircraft between ships operating at greater distances. Also in the overseas territories of the French colonies , the Potez 452 operated as an on-board aircraft from gunboats equipped with catapults . The last copy used in the Far East was not taken out of service until 1943.
In response to the navy's request for an airborne sea fighter, Potez developed the single-seat Potez 453 from the reconnaissance variant in 1935 . In contrast to his competitor designs Loire 210 , H 110 and R.90, all of which were designed as floats , it was the only hunting flying boat. The structure of the predecessor was largely retained, only the observer cabin was omitted and the wing center section was given an upward bend with modified engine struts and a higher drive. A Hispano-Suiza engine more than twice as powerful replaced the conventional engine from the same manufacturer. The following test series and comparison flies of the individual types dragged on over the next two years and when the Navy finally decided on the Loire 210 in 1937, the CANT-453 program was ended.
construction
The Potez 452 is a tense and braced high-wing aircraft in wood construction .
- hull
- The two-tier , keeled hull is made up of five longitudinal spars , floor strings , frames and bulkheads made of wood with wooden planking and is divided into several watertight sections.
- Structure
- The wing is set high and connected to it by struts above the fuselage, additionally stabilized by wire crossings. It is designed in three parts and is formed by a wooden construction consisting of two box spars and Spruce ribs, which are stiffened by metal struts and wire crossings. The front edge of the outer wing is made of plywood, the remaining part is covered with fabric. The wing center section has plywood paneling except for the rear edge, which is clad with metal sheets. The braced motor gondola, which projects far over the bow, is connected to its leading edge. For space-saving storage, the outer surfaces can be folded sideways on the fuselage.
- Tail unit
- The Potez 452 is equipped with a normal tail unit, which is formed from a fabric-covered wooden frame. The horizontal stabilizer is supported by V-struts towards the trunk. Both sides - and elevators are balanced.
- Floating mechanism
- In addition to the hull, the Potez 452 has two non-stepped wooden floats attached to the side under the outer wings . These are connected to the fuselage via diagonal cross struts and to the underside of the wings with I-struts.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data (Potez 452) | Data (Potez 453) |
|---|---|---|
| crew | 2 | 1 |
| length | 10.23 m | 10.2 m |
| span | 13.0 m | 11.2 m |
| height | 3.4 | k. A. |
| Wing area | 24.3 m² | 19 m² |
| Wing extension | 6.5 | 6.6 |
| Wing loading | 61.7 kg / m² | 96.8 kg / m² |
| Power load | 5 kg / hp | 2.7 kg / hp |
| Area performance | 12.3 hp / m² | 35.2 hp / m² |
| Preparation mass | 1065 kg | 1423 kg |
| payload | 435 kg | 416 kg |
| Takeoff mass | normal 1500 kg maximum 1750 kg for catapult launch |
1839 kg |
| drive | an air-cooled nine-cylinder - radial engine | an air-cooled fourteen-cylinder double radial engine |
| Type | Hispano-Suiza 9Qd | Hispano-Suiza 80 |
| rated capacity | 300 hp (221 kW) | 670 PS (493 kW) at 3500 m |
| Top speed | 222 km / h near the ground 217 km / h at 2000 m altitude |
340 km / h at 3500 m |
| Marching speed | 180 km / h at 2000 m altitude 130 km / h (economical) |
k. A. |
| Minimum speed | 72 km / h | k. A. |
| Landing speed | k. A. | 90 km / h |
| Rate of climb | 200 m / min | k. A. |
| Rise time | 28 min at 5000 m | 4 min at 3500 m |
| Take-off run | 10 s | k. A. |
| Summit height | practically 4000 m maximum 6500 m |
9000 m |
| Range | normal 500 km with 190 l fuel maximum 750 km with 285 l fuel |
k. A. |
| Flight duration | normal 4 h at 130 km / h maximum 5.5 h at 130 km / h |
k. A. |
| Armament | a movable machine gun on a rotating carriage in the observer's position | two to four rigid MG or 20 mm MK on the fuselage bow (optional) |
literature
- Werner von Langsdorff : Handbook of aviation . Born in 1939. 2nd, unchanged edition. J. F. Lehmann, Munich 1937, p. 271/272 .
- Ulrich Israel: Flying Boats of the Second World War . German Military Publishing House, Berlin 1972, p. 74/75 .
