Engineering:Potez 36

Potez 36
"Challenge International de Tourisme", 1929
Role	Two-seat sport/touring monoplane
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Potez
First flight	1929
Number built	300+
Variants	Potez 43 & Potez 58

The Potez 36 was a French two-seat touring or sport monoplane designed and built by Potez.

Design and development

The Potez 36 was a high-wing braced monoplane with a conventional landing gear. It had an enclosed cabin with side-by-side seating for a pilot and passenger. The design had some unusual features like folding wings to make it easier to store or to tow behind a motor car. Some of the aircraft had Potez-designed leading-edge slats. The aircraft was popular with both French private owners and flying clubs with a small number being used by the French Air Force during the 1930s as liaison aircraft.

Variants

Potez 36

Prototype of the series powered by a 45 kW (60 hp) Salmson 5Ac radial engine.

Potez36/1

production version powered by a 52 kW (70 hp) Renault 4Pa; two built.

Potez 36/3

Prototype followed by six production aircraft with no slats, powered by a 45 kW (60 hp) Salmson 5Ac radial engine.

Potez 36/5

Variant with no slats but powered by a 71 kW (95 hp) Salmson 7Ac engine; five built.

Potez 36/13

Production version of the 36/5 but fitted with leading-edge slats, 96 built.

Potez 36/14 Renault 95 hp. - gare d'Albert, Somme

Potez 36/14

Variant with a 71 kW (95 hp) Renault 4Pb engine and leading-edge slats and wheel brakes, 103 built.

Potez 36/15

Variant with a 75 kW (100 hp) Potez 6Ab engine, 18 built.

Potez 36/17

Variant with a 78 kW (104 hp) Cirrus Hermes IIB engine, two built.

Potez 36/19

Variant with a 75 kW (100 hp) Renault 4Pci engine, two built.

Potez 36/21

Production variant with a 75 kW (100 hp) Potez 6Ac engine and wheels with balloon tyres, 29 built.

Specifications (Potez 36/3)

Potez 36 3-view drawing from Aero Digest December 1929

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 (pilot)
• Capacity: 1 (passenger)
• Length: 7.50 m (24 ft 7 in)
• Wingspan: 10.45 m (34 ft 3 in)
• Width: 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (wings folded)
• Height: 2.45 m (8 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 20.00 m² (215.3 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 427 kg (941 lb)
• Gross weight: 650 kg (1,433 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Salmson 5Ac 5-cylinder radial piston engine, 45 kW (60 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn)
• Cruise speed: 120 km/h (75 mph, 65 kn)
• Range: 500 km (310 mi, 270 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 3,600 m (11,800 ft)

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Cony, Christophe (July–August 2009). "Potez 36: Une révolution dans l'aviation de tourisme" (in fr). Avions (170): 18–24. ISSN 1253-5354. 
• Cony, Christophe (September–October 2009). "Potez 36: Une révolution dans l'aviation de tourisme: Deuxième partie" (in fr). Avions (171): 37–49. ISSN 1253-5354. 
• Cony, Christophe (November–December 2009). "Potez 36: L'appareil qui révolutionna l'aviation de tourisme: Troisième partie" (in fr). Avions (172): 6–23. ISSN 1253-5354. 
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. 
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.