Potez 631
The Potez 631 was a French night fighter aircraft used by the Armée de l’Air during World War II. It was developed from the Potez 63 by Nord Aviation for the night fighting role. Thus, this French low-winged monoplane was one of a family of design variations of the Potez 63 which had originated in a requirement issued in 1934 for a two multi-purpose aircraft. The French Potez 631 night-fighter corresponded in many respects to the RAF’s Bristol Blenheim, being very similar in size and performance as well as being conceived as a variation of a light bomber. At the beginning, relatively little importance was placed on the Potez 631 night fighter, and it was not until June 1938 that production orders totaling 207 were confirmed. This French heavy fighter was armed with two fixed forward-firing 20mm guns under fuselage and one hand-held 7.5mm (0.295-in) machine gun in dorsal position; in the ground-attack role, it could carry up to two 150 kg bombs.
When the German attack opened in the West the various Potez 631 units were in constant action both by day and night, although lack of radar prevented much success during the hours of darkness. In the first 11 days of the campaign Aéronavale’s Flotille F 1C shot down 12 German aircraft for the loss of eight, but the Armée de l’Air night fighter units were ordered to assume day ground-attack duties, losing heavily to enemy flak. Moreover, losses were exceptionally heavy to Allied guns and fighters as a result of the Potez 631′s superficial similarity to the German Messerschmitt Bf 110; it has been estimated that as many as 30 of the French aircraft were shot down in error. In all, Potez 631 night fighters destroyed a total of 29 German aircraft in the Battle of France, but for a loss of 93 of their own number. Of the remainder about 110 were in the Free French Zone (Vichy France) at the time of the armistice, but their number dwindled quickly because of a chronic lack of spares.
Specifications
Type: night fighter
Country of origin: France
Manufacturer: Nord Aviation
Power plant: two 700-hp (522-kW) Gnome-Rhône 14 air-cooled radial piston engines
Maximum speed: 442 km/h (275 mph)
Range: 1220 km (758 miles)
Ceiling: 8800 m (28,870 ft)
Weapons: two 20mm cannons; one 7,7mm machine gun
Wing span: 16,00 m (52 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 32.70 m2 (351.98sq ft)
Length: 11.07 m (36 ft 4 in)
Crew: 2
