France's Potez 63 day and night fighter

Photos

Potez 63 fighter-bomber: Aeronautics Aircraft Spotters' Handbook	Potez 63 fighter-bomber: Aeronautics Aircraft Spotters' Handbook
Potez 63.11 fighter:	Potez 63.11 fighter2:	Potez 63.11 fighter:

Design

The Potez 63 was designed to meet a 1934 requirement for a day and night fighter.¹

Prototype

On April 25, 1936 the Potez 630-01 / 63.01² prototype first flew.^1,2,3 The Potez 631 prototype first flew in March 1937.² The Potez 633 first flew in late 1937.² The Potez 637 first flew in mid 1938.² The Potez 63.11 first flew in December 1938.²

Prototype

Production

• Potez 630 and Potez 631: ~300²
• Potez 633: 135²
• Potez 637: 61²
• Potez 63.11: ~900²
• Total: ~1,100³, ~1,360², 1,395¹
  • Manufacturer: SNCAN³
  • Production: 1938 - ?², ? - June 1940³

Variants

• Potez 63.01: Prototype.² Had Hispano-Suiza engine.²
• Potez 630: Day³ and night fighter.^1,2 Crew 2-3.¹ Appeared in February 1938.³
• Potez 631: Day and night³ fighter.^1,2 Crew 2-3.¹
• Potez 633: Light bomber.^1,3 Attack bomber.^2,3
• Potez 637: Reconnaissance.^1,2 Crew of 3.¹ Had a ventral observation gondola.²
• Potez 63.11: Army cooperation.^1,2 Reconnaissance.³ Nose section was redesigned to be glazed.² The cockpit was moved towards the rear.²

Usage

France, Germany, Greece, Romania, and Switzerland used the Potez 63 series.² Romania and Greece received some of the Potez 633s before the outbreak of World War II.²

First Shot Down

On September 8, 1939, a Potez 637 was the first Allied aircraft lost on the Western Front.²

Mistaken Identity

There was a similar resemblance to the German Bf 110, and the Potez 63s were shot at by French and English fighters.¹

Large Losses

By June 1940, out of 1,115 delivered to units, only 663 survived.¹ Of these 251 were in North Africa.¹ Over 200 Potez 63.11s were lost in the initial few weeks.²

German Use

After the Armistice production of the Potez 63.11 continued and these were used for training by the Germans.²

Specifications