The Potez 640 series of single-seat fighters were initially designed to meet the same 1936 French Air Ministry requirement that produced the Dewoitine 520, Bloch 150 serie, and the Arsenal VG.33. Potez's design philosophy was to build the smallest possible airframe possible that would accommodate the most powerful inline engine readily available in France. The Potez 640 was equipped with the same Hispano-Suiza 12Y engine as the Dewoitine, but was somewhat smaller (the Dewoitine being already small). The Air Ministry requirement included the need to equip the fighter with a 20mm cannon, but in addition to the single moteur-canon as in the Dewoitine, the Potez mounted 2 x 20mm in the wings.
The Potez proved to be an excellent fighter, and was ordered into production alongside the Dewoitine. Shown here is a later development, the Potez 643. This version mounted an imported 1,030 hp Rolls Royce Merlin engine which forced Potez to dispense with the moteur-canon of earlier versions. To compensate (at least in the ground attack role), they created a central hard point capable of carrying a 200 kg (440 pound) GP bomb. In this guise, the Potez 643 made a very effective close support aircraft during the German offensive against France.
The model: This model was made up of parts leftover from my Beardmore Galloglaigh, in 1/72 scale, all from Hobby Boss. Forward fuselage, engine, cockpit canopy: Spitfire V. Rear fuselage: MiG 3. Wings: Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4. Bomb: unknown from the spares box. Decals are mostly from a !/72 Revell Germany P-47D. Hope you like it.
