Dewoitine D 21

At the end of 1925, the second prototype D 12 single-seat fighter was re-engined with a 500hp Hispano- Suiza 12Gb (HS 50) 12-cylinder W-type water-cooled engine and redesignated D 21. Intended essentially for export, the D 21 was first demonstrated in January 1926 at Bruxelles-Evere. The first export contract came from Turkey, this calling for two D 21s for evaluation. Czechoslovakia ordered three and Argentina procured 18, plus the prototype. Of these, the three Czech aircraft and seven of the Argentine aircraft were assembled by the EKW in Switzerland. A manufacturing licence was obtained by Czechoslovakia, Skoda building 26 D 21s during 1928-29 (as Skoda D 1s) with Skoda L engines (derived from the HS 12G) of 562hp. Argentina also procured a manufacturing licence and the Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) built 40 examples during 1930-31, but with Madsen machine guns and the licence-built Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb W-type engine. They thus became effectively D 12s, although the designation D 21 was retained. In the autumn of 1927, Turkey placed a follow-on order for 10 D 21s, these being delivered during 1928-29.