| Potez | |
| Successor: | Sud Aviation |
| Foundation: | 1919 |
| Founder: | Henry Potez |
| Defunct: | 1967 |
| Industry: | Aerospace industry |
| Products: | Aircraft, aircraft engines |
Potez (pronounced in French pronounced as /pɔtɛz/) was a French aircraft manufacturer founded as Aéroplanes Henry Potez by Henry Potez at Aubervilliers in 1919. The firm began by refurbishing war-surplus SEA IV aircraft, but was soon building new examples of an improved version, the Potez SEA VII.
During the inter-war years, Potez built a range of small passenger aircraft and a series of military reconnaissance biplanes that were also licence-built in Poland. In 1933, the firm bought flying boat manufacturer CAMS.
The company was nationalized in 1936,[1] following which it was merged with Chantiers aéronavals Étienne Romano, Lioré et Olivier, CAMS and SPCA in order to form the Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du Sud-Est (SNCASE) on 1 February 1937.
Potez's factories in Sartrouville and Méaulte were taken over by SNCAN and the Berre factory went to SNCASE.
After World War II, Potez was re-established as Société des Avions et Moteurs Henry Potez at Argenteuil but did not return to the prominence that the company enjoyed prior to nationalisation. In 1958, the company bought Fouga to form Potez Air-Fouga, but when Potez's last design, the 840 (a small turboprop airliner) failed to attract customers, it was forced to close. The remaining assets were purchased by Sud-Aviation in 1967.