| D.500/501/503/510/511 | |
|---|---|
 A Dewoitine 510 at TheA&AEEMartlesham Heath in October 1936 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Dewoitine |
| Designer | |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary users | French Air Force |
| Number built | 381 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | July1935 |
| First flight | 18 June 1932 |
TheDewoitine D.500 was an all-metal, open-cockpit, fixed-undercarriagemonoplanefighter aircraft designed and produced by French aircraft manufacturerDewoitine.
Developed to meet a specification issued by the French Air Ministry in 1930, the D.500 was intended to be a more capable replacement to theNieuport 62. Ordered by theFrench Air Force during November 1933 and introduced in its initial model during 1935, the design was developed into several variants, most notably theD.510, which was re-engined with the more powerfulHispano-Suiza 12Ycrs powerplant. It proved to be a relatively popular aircraft during theInterwar period; in France, in addition to the French Air Force's units, a specialised variant, theD.501, was also procured by theFrench Naval Aviation forcarrier operations. Beyond its use in France, the D.500 saw several export sales and evaluations by prospective major customers including theEmpire of Japan, theSoviet Union, and theUnited Kingdom.
The D.500/D.501 saw combat with several operators. During theSpanish Civil War, it was surreptitiously supplied to theSpanish Republican Air Force; it was also flown by theRepublic of China Air Force against the invading Japanese during theSecond Sino-Japanese War. During the late 1930s, the type was largely superseded by a new generation of French fighter aircraft, these typically featured further innovations such as enclosed cockpits and retractable undercarriages, and included the design's direct successor, theDewoitine D.520. Despite being largely obsolete, both D.500s and D.510s were operated by the French Air Force during the initial months of theSecond World War, the latter remaining in use up to the end of theBattle of France and signing of theArmistice of 22 June 1940 between France andNazi Germany.
The origin of the D.500 was the issuing of theC1 specifications by the French Air Ministry during 1930. Several aviation companies investigated a response to C1, including French aircraft manufacturerDewoitine, headed byÉmile Dewoitine. Dewoitine and his team designed a clean-sheet all-metalmonoplane interceptor and submitted their proposal, designatedD.500, to the Air Ministry. On 18 June 1932, the prototype made itsmaiden flight.[1] During November 1933, an initial quantity of sixty aircraft was ordered from Dewoitine on behalf of theFrench Air Force, for whom the type was to serve as a replacement for theNieuport 62. On 29 November 1934, the first production D.500 made its first flight.[1]
In service, those aircraft armed with a pair of twin nose-mountedmachine guns were designated as D.500, while those with a single 20 mmcannon which fired through the propeller hub received the designationD.501. Perhaps the most significant derivative of the type was theD.510, the principle difference of which was the adoption of a more powerfulHispano-Suiza 12Ycrs engine, capable of 640 kW (860 hp); minor refinements included a slightly lengthened nose, an increase in fuel capacity and a refined undercarriage arrangement.[2] The design was further developed into the more capableDewoitine D.520, which had an enclosed cockpit and a retractableundercarriage, unlike its predecessor.
The Dewoitine D.500 was an all-metal low-wingcantilever monoplane.[3] It featured a sharp fuselage, complete with astreamlined nose section that housed the aircraft's powerplant, a singleHispano-Suiza 12XbrsV-12liquid-cooledpiston engine capable of generating up to 515 kW (691 hp). Underneath the fuselage was a relatively large-volumeradiator, which was designed to present the smallest possible frontal area while still meeting the cooling requirements of the Hispano-Suiza engine.[4] The cockpit of the D.500 was located directly above thetrailing edge of the wing.[3] The pilot is provided with a vertically-adjustable chair, which can be raised in-flight to improve visibility for landing. The cockpit was equipped withoxygen apparatus as well as aradio set for communication.[3] The control stick was connected to the aircraft's ailerons via a rod transmission to horns present on the upper wing's surface.[5] The control surfaces of the D.500 were relatively small as a result of the aircraft's high speed performance.[3]
The D.500 had an ovoid sectionmonocoque fuselage, the structure of which comprised five main and eight falsebulkheads which were connected together by fourlongerons and intermediate stringers; these stiffened the metal sheet covering, which was riveted onto the structure.[3] Thesternpost was integral with the fuselage, while the engine bearer, comprising an oblique frame, was directly bolted to the attachment brackets of thecrankcase. The aircraft's adjustable stabiliser was hinged around its front spar while rigid struts connected to either side of the lower fuselage to provide transverse stiffness.[6] The fixed undercarriage had fairedaxleless wheels, complete withpneumaticbrakes, mounted on a pair of V struts attached to the lower fuselage longerons. The undercarriage's vertical stresses are absorbed by an oleo-pneumatic strut bolted to the central wing's single spar and is integral with the fuselage.[7]
The D.500 had a low-mountedelliptical, all-metal cantilever wing, with an aspect ratio of 8.9.[7] It had a relatively smallchord and contained only a single spar, similar to the record-settingDewoitine D.33. The wing's strength came from its box spar, which was formed from a pair of vertical webs of sheet metal that connect with the flanges, which are in turn riveted to the flat sheet rib arcs of the sheet covering.[8] The wing had a thickness of 0.3 m (11,81in.) at the root, gradually tapering towards its rounded-off tips. Balancedailerons extended throughout the span, except nearthe fuselage, where these were reduced to provide greater downward visibility for the pilot.[8] The lower wing surface sat only 1.5 m (4.92 ft.) above the ground, which generated a beneficialground effect to significantly reduce landing speeds. The aircraft's fuel tanks, which were located in the wing's center portion on either side of the axis of symmetry, could be separately isolated using a multi-waystopcock.[7]
During July 1935, the initial models of the aircraft, theD.500 andD.501, were inducted into theArmée de l'Air. During October 1936, the first examples of the more powerfulD.510 variant were also delivered. The type was operated as the primary fighter aircraft of theArmée de l'Air, despite it soon being considered to be obsolete due to rapid advances in fighter technology being introduced during the late 1930s.[2] The D.510s were retained in the mainline fighter role until their replacement by the more capableMorane-Saulnier M.S.406 during 1939. By September 1939, the month in which theSecond World War broke out between the European powers, the early D.500/501 models had been relegated to regional defense and training squadrons.[1]
At the start of the conflict, significant numbers of D.510s were still in operation with threeGroupes de Chasse (Fighter Groups), twoEscadrilles Régionale de Chasse (Regional Fighter Squadrons inNorth Africa), and twoEscadrilles de Aéronautique Navale (Naval Aviation Squadrons).[1] The type was normally tasked with the air defence of areas behind the front line, such as cities and industrial areas.[2] During November 1939, inMorocco,North Africa, a singleescadrille of D.510s (ERC571) was activated despite these planes lacking cannon. During May 1940, thisescadrille merged with ERC 573 to form GC III/4. This groupe was disbanded by the end of August 1940. AtDakar, one groupe designated GC I/6, remained in service until being replaced byCurtiss H-75s at the end of 1941.[citation needed]
Fourteen D.501s (named D.501L), originally sold toLithuania,[9] and two D.510s ostensibly intended for the Emirate ofHedjaz, saw service with the Republican forces during theSpanish Civil War, arriving some time during mid-1936. When the French government found out about the delivery of the D.510s, they demanded the return of the 12Y engines. As a result of this request, these aircraft were refitted withKlimov M-100s (aSoviet-built copy of the 12Y) from aTupolev SB bomber.[1] During the conflict, the two D.510s were assigned to the 71st Coastal Defense Group. Neither reportedly engaged any enemy fighters. During 1938, one aircraft was irreparably damaged while landing, while the other was destroyed on a runway during a bombing attack.[citation needed]
In June 1938, theNationalist Air Force of China established the41st PS, French Volunteer Squadron atWujiaba Airbase andQingyunpu Airbase; French volunteer pilots participating in few combat engagements against the Japanese attacks while flying in bothHawk IIIs and the D.510s which they were demonstrating for Chinese procurement, but suffered only losses, including one pilotkilled-in-action against the JapaneseA5M fighters that proved to be too difficult of an adversary, and led to the disbandment of the 41st PS by October 1938. The 18 D.510 fighters left in China were reassigned to Chinese Nationalist Air Force17th Fighter Squadron, 5th Fighter Group, where they would be stationed inSichuan province and engaging the Imperial Japanese in primarily-defensive airwar campaign in theBattle of Chongqing-Chengdu.[10] The French also dispatched two D.510 toJapan for evaluation by theImperial Japanese Navy, but the Japanese found the A5M to be superior and did not place any orders.[citation needed]
In course of the air battles over Chengdu and Chongqing, which were mostly fought using Soviet-madePolikarpov I-15 andI-16 fighter aircraft, Capt.Cen Zeliu of theChinese Air Force 17th Fighter Squadron, 5th Fighter Group led seven Dewoitine D.510s fighters on 4 November 1939 in a level, head-on attack against an incoming formation ofIJANFG3M bombers. Cen used experiences with the unreliability of the Hispano-Suiza HS.404 20mm autocannon under theg-forces of a diving attack to influence his method, and shot down the lead bomber of the formation, piloted by the commander of the13th Kōkūtai.[citation needed]
China
Data fromThe Great Book of Fighters,[1]The Dewoitine D.500 pursuit airplane[11]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
Some accounts claim that the Dewoitines were only used as fighter trainers by the Chinese. In fact, after the French had departed, the surviving Dewoitines were deployed by the Chinese 17th Chung- tui (中队). On 4th November 1939 they were part of a force that intercepted formations of Imperial Japanese Navy G3M bombers attacking Chengtu. Captain Shen Tse-Liu in aircraft '5921', leading the 17th's Dewoitines, attacked the G3M of 13th Ku commander Captain Okuda in a head on pass, using the 20mm cannon to set fire to the Japanese bomber and destroying it.
