Dewoitine D 1

Conceived by Emile Dewoitine to participate in the 1921 C1 (single-seat fighter) programme, the D 1 high-wing monoplane was of advanced structural concept. It mated fabric-covered metal wings with an oval-section metal fuselage covered by duralumin sheet. Armament consisted of two 7.7mm synchronised Vickers guns and power was provided by a 300hp Hispano-Suiza 8Fb (HS 42) eight-cylinder water-cooled engine. The prototype was flown on 18 November 1922, the principal criticism being the poor forward visibility for the pilot. A 120mm pylon was therefore inserted between wing and fuselage, the fighter, now referred to as the D 1bis, thus becoming a parasol monoplane. This modification was effected in August 1923, by which time the first three (of 10) pre-series aircraft had been supplied for official evaluation in the initial configuration. Two of these were lost in accidents and the third was modified to D 1bis parasol form. The next five pre-series. aircraft (the fourth, fifth and sixth having been ordered by Czechoslovakia, Japan and Italy respectively, and the seventh and eighth by Switzerland) were all completed to D 1bis standard, but continuing criticism of forward view led to replacement of the shallow pylon between wing and fuselage by a cabane of inverted-vee struts on the prototype which thus became the D 1ter. The two pre-series aircraft for Switzerland were modified to this standard prior to delivery, the two lost during official trials) were completed as D 1ter fighters, the cabane struts being standardised for production D 1s. A contract had been placed in November 1923 on behalf of the Aeronautique Navale for 44 D 1s, with the government providing guarantees for 150 aircraft. The production contract was placed with the SECM (Societe d'Emboutissage et de Constructions Mecaniques) which flew its first series D 1 on 18 January 1925. Sixty (later reduced to 44) were ordered by Yugoslavia, and after the D 1 was selected by Italy in preference to the Dornier Do H Falke, licence manufacture (with modifications) was undertaken as the Ansaldo A.C.2. The Aeronautique Navale took delivery of its D 1s from early 1925, and in the previous year an order for 20 had been placed on behalf of the Forces Aeriennes Terrestres, although these were never to equip a service unit.

3-View

A three-view drawing (640 x 442)