Since 1937 Henry Potez had been concentrating on aircraft engines. In
1952 it was decided to re-enter the aircraft manufacturing industry
and the Société des Moteurs Potez was renamed
Société des Avions et Moteurs Henry Potez. The first
design was the Potez 75, a private venture originally intended as an
anti-tank aircraft. The prototype F-ZWSA was constructed in less than
six months at the Argenteuil plant and Georges Détré
made the first flight on June 10, 1953.
Constructed by Ing. Delaruelle the Potez 75 was a rugged simple light
design with a central nacelle, twin booms with a high-set tail plane
and a fixed, spatted landing gear. The two-seat aircraft had an
enclosed gunner/observer's position in the nose and a high-mounted,
open cockpit. Intended to operate from unprepared strips it had short
take off and landing characteristics. The aircraft was powered by a
single Potez 8-D reciprocating engine driving a pusher propeller.
The French Armée de l'Air and Aviation Legere de L'Armee de
Terre (Air Force and Army) evaluated the design and rejected it as
insufficient equipped for its task. The design was transformed into
an army-co-operation and light ground attack aircraft and it was
tested in Algeria as a counter-insurgency aircraft. Eventually in May
1956 15 pre-production aircraft and 100 production aircraft were
ordered by the French National Defense Department.
The prototype had several improvements made to both cockpits
including a sliding hood over the pilot's position. Despite this
the contract for both the 15 pre- and 100 production aircraft were
cancelled in June 1957 due to budget restrains. From late 1957 the
prototype was being used by the French general Redon as a liaison
aircraft until it crashed in September 1958.
Next to the initial F-ZWSA the aircraft, with construction number 01,
carried subsequently the registrations F-WGVK and F-MAFY.
The aircraft carried four fixed 0.3 in (7.5 mm) machine guns and a
maximum of eight Nord SS-10 or SS-11 wire-guided missiles or
alternative ordnance.