The Potez 34 was built by
Aéroplanes Henry Potez and was derived from the
Potez 28M and used the
Ryan NYP's blind flying / periscope configuration. Intended to win the distance record in closed circuit and then in a straight line, the first record attempts of the Potez 34 were punctuated by tyre punctures and oil leaks. Modifications were made including the exchange of the Farman engine with a lighter Hispano-Suiza and the adoption of a metal propeller. On 18 June 1929, the French distance in closed circuit record was beaten over a course of flown by
Lionel de Marmier and Louis Favreau, but the world record could not be broken due to a technical failure. On 25 June 1929, the same crew attempted to break the distance record in a straight line, flying to the Far East, but propeller vibrations necessitated a landing in
Tunisia and the failure of the attempt. The Potez 34 was lent by the
Ministere de l'Air to
Joseph Le Brix, assisted by Maurice Rossi, for a flight from Paris to Saigon, with three stops at
Benghazi,
Basra and
Allahabad. The attempt began 16 December 1929 and a breakdown occurred over
Burma on the night of 22 to 23 December 1929, the aircraft crashed into the jungle but the crew parachuted to safety. == Variations ==