Flight, December 1938

The CIVIL SIDE at the PARIS SHOW

COMMERCIAL TYPES

   IT is an unfortunate truth that air-operating companies will not find much to interest them at the Paris Aero Show. There is but a single real and complete commercial aeroplane exhibited, the Potez 662 four-engined monoplane, which is a development of the 661 now in use by the Air-Afrique company. The 661 has four Renault engines of 220 h.p. each, whereas the 662 is powered by four small-diameter Gnome-Rhone 14 Mars engines of about 640 h.p. each. As the machine is designed to accommodate 12 passengers only, the power expenditure is more than 200 h.p. per passenger. In return for this, the machine is expected to give a cruising speed of about 250 m.p.h., and should thus be the fastest commercial aeroplane in use.
   In its general design the Potez 662 follows the classic formula: low-wing cantilever monoplane, four engines, v.p. airscrews, retractable undercarriage, trailing-edge flaps, and twin rudders. The ailerons are of the slotted type. When carrying 12 passengers the 662 has a range of 600 miles at a cruising speed of 250 m.p.h. The cabin is neither cramped nor particularly spacious, but is the sort of compromise one would expect in a commercial aeroplane designed for such high performance. In any case, the duration of flight will not be more than about 2 - 2 1/4 hours, so there is not the same necessity for giving ample room.
   The tare weight of the Potez 662 (fully equipped and including weight of crew) is. 6,220 kg. (13,700 lb.) and the disposable load 2,260 kg. (5,000 lb.), giving a loaded weight of 8,480 kg. (18,700 lb.). The wing span is 22.4 m. (73ft. 6in.) and the wing area 64 sq. m. (689 sq. ft.), so that the wing loading is nearly 30 lb./sq. ft. At the operational height of 13,000ft. the maximum speed is 286 m.p.h.