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| Potez 452 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Potez 45 prototype | |
| Role | Naval reconnaissance aircraft
Type of aircraft
|
| Manufacturer | Potez |
| Designer | M. Delaruelle |
| First flight | 1935 |
| Introduction | 1936 |
| Retired | 1944 |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary user | French Navy |
| Number built | 16 |
The Potez 452 was a French flying boat designed and built by Potez in response to a French Navy specification for a shipboard reconnaissance machine for use on its battleships and cruisers.
The design requirements included the ability for launch by a catapult or from the sea. In addition, the wings were required to fold to simplify storage aboard ship. It first flew in 1935, and after satisfactory flight trials, it began equipping French ships a year later. Only sixteen Potez 452s were built. The Spanish Navy also expressed interest, which resulted in Spain acquiring a manufacturing license.[1] Spain built no aircraft.[citation needed]
The Potez 452 was active as a reconnaissance aircraft during the early months of World War II. During that time there was no significant naval action in the Mediterranean where most of the French Navy was operating. After the French capitulation to Germany in June 1940, these aircraft continued to serve with their ships and as part of Vichy France's military, briefly engaged their former ally Great Britain. Other Potez 452s were deployed to French colonies in French Indochina, which included reconnaissance duty in the 1940–1941 Franco-Thai War between the Vichy French controlled colonies and Thailand and some remained in service until 1944, by which time the final survivors were retired. In 1937 a single Potez 452 had been supplied to the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service for evaluation as the Potez HXP1.
France
Vichy France
Data from War Planes of the Second World War:Volume Five Flying Boats [2]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related lists
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Potez and Potez-CAMS aircraft
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|---|---|
| Potez |
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| Potez-CAMS |
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| |
|---|---|
| Fighters (A) |
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| Torpedo bombers (B) |
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| Shipboard reconnaissance (C) |
|
| Dive bombers (D) |
|
| Reconnaissance seaplanes (E) |
|
| Observation seaplanes (F) |
|
| Land-based bombers (G) |
|
| Flying Boats (H) |
|
| Land-based Fighters (J) |
|
| Trainers (K) |
|
| Transports (L) |
|
| Special-purpose (M)1 |
|
| Floatplane fighters (N) |
|
| Land-based bombers (P) |
|
| Patrol (Q) |
|
| Land-based reconnaissance (R) |
|
| Night fighters (S) |
|
1 X as second letter is for experimental aircraft or imported technology demonstrators not intended for service, 2 Hyphenated trailing letter (-J, -K, -L, -N or -S) denotes design modified for secondary role, 3 Possibly incorrect designation, but used in many sources | |
