Potez 540
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The Potez 540 was a French multi-role aircraft of the 1930s. Designed and built by Potez, it served with the French Air Force as a Reconnaissance Bomber, also serving with the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War. Although obsolete as a bomber, it remained in service in support roles and in France's overseas colonies at the start of the Second World War.

History

This two engine aircraft was built by the French Potez company to fulfill a 1932 specification for a new reconnaissance bomber. Built as a private venture, the Potez 54 flew for the first time on 14 November 1933. Designed by Louis Coroller, it was intended as a four-seat aircraft capable of performing duties such as bomber, transport and long-range reconnaissance. The Potez 54 was a high wing monoplane, of mixed wood and metal covering over a steel tube frame. The prototype had twin fins and rudders, and was powered by two 515kW Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs V-12 engines in streamlined nacelles, which were connected to the fuselage by stub wings. The main landing gear units retracted into the nacelles, and auxiliary bomb racks were mounted beneath the stub wings. There were manually operated turrets at the nose and dorsal positions, as well as a semi-retractable dustbin style ventral turret. During development the original tailplane was replaced by a single fin and rudder, and in this form the type was re-designated Potez 540 and delivered to the Armee de I'Air on 25 November 1934^[1]. A total of 192 Potez 540s were built.

Their first combat was in the Spanish Civil War, where they were employed by the Spanish Republicans. In the later 1930s, these aircraft were becoming obsolete so they were withdrawn from reconnaissance and bombing duties and were relegated to French transport units. They were also employed as paratrooper training and transport aircraft. By September of 1939 and the beginning of World War II, they had been largely transferred to the French colonies in North Africa, where they continued to function in transport and paratrooper service. Their role in even these secondary assignments was problematic given their poor defensive armament and vulnerability to modern enemy fighters. Following the French capitulation to Germany in June of 1940, those Potez 540s still flying served the Vichy French Air Force mainly in the French overseas colonies. Most of these machines were retired or destroyed by late 1943.

Variants

Potez 54

One prototype, later converted (with twin tails) into the Potez 540 No. 1.

Potez 540

Production aircraft with Hispano-Suiza 12Xirs vee piston engines. 185 built. Used by France and Spain.

Potez 541

540 re-engined with Gnome-Rhône 14Kdrs radial engines. One built

Potez 542

Derivative of 540 powered by 537 kW (720 hp) Lorraine Petrel engines. 74 built. Used by France and Spain.

Potez 543

Production derivative of Potez 541, powered by Gnome-Rhône 14Kdrs engine. 10 built for Romania.

Operators

 France

• Armée de l'Air

 Romania

• Romanian Air Force

Spanish Republic

• Spanish Air Force

Specifications (Potez 540)

General characteristics

• Crew: 4 to 7 [dependent whether functioning as transport or bomber]
• Length: 16.20 m (53 ft 2 in)
• Wingspan: 22.10 m (72 ft 6 in)
• Height: 3.88 m (12 ft 9 in)
• Wing area: 76.0 m² (818.06 ft²)
• Empty weight: 3,785 kg (8,344 lb)
• Loaded weight: 5,950 kg (13,115 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Hispano-Suiza HS 12 Xirs/Xjrs V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines, 515 kW (690 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 310 km/h at 3,962 m (193 mph at 13,000 feet)
• Range: 1,250 km (777 miles)
• Service ceiling 10,000 m (32,810 feet)

Armament

• 3-5× 7.5 mm (0.29 inch) machine guns in flexible nose, dorsal, and ventral positions
• 4× 225 kg (496 lb) bombs on external racks or ten 55 kg (121 lb) bombs in bomb bay when operated as a bomber

References

External links

Aviafrance - Potez 540

See also