Potez 452

The Potez 452 was a French flying boat designed and built by the French aircraft company Potez in response to a French Navy specification for a shipboard reconnaissance machine for use on its battleships and cruisers.

Design
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 in the Potez 452, which resulted in a manufacturing license acquired by the Spanish government. However none were built.

Opeartional history
They remained active as reconnaissance platforms during the early months of World War II. During these early months, there was no significant naval action in the Mediterranean. The warships upon which the Potez 452s were serving saw no real combat against German forces. After the French capitulation to Germany in June 1940, these aircraft continued to serve on their ships and ironically were briefly engaged against their former ally Great Britain. Other Potez 452s were deployed to French colonies in French Indochina, which included reconnaissance duty in a short conflict between these Vichy French controlled colonies and Thailand, a little remembered side event of World War II. These machines remained in service until 1944, by that time all had been retired or destroyed. A single Potez 452 was supplied to the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service for evaluation, as the Potez HXP1, in 1937.

Variants

 * Potez 450
 * Prototype flying-boat with a 230 hp Salmson 9 Ab engine, one built


 * Potez 452
 * Production variant with a 350 hp Hispano-Suiza 9Qd engine, 48 built.


 * Potez 453
 * Floatplane fighter derived from the 452, powered by a 720 hp Hispano-Suiza 14Hbs. A single prototype built.

Operators

 * French Navy
 * French Navy