World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseIn 1930, the French Air Ministry requested a new design to replace the NiD 62 biplane fighters currently in service. Aircraft designer Émile Dewoitine developed the D.500 fighter design in response, which were all-metal monoplanes with open cockpits. In Nov 1933, his company, Constructions Aéronautiques Émile Dewoitine, was given a contract for 60 examples. The first production aircraft took flight on 29 Nov 1934, and in Jul 1935 D.501 aircraft entered service with the French military, followed by the D.510 variant in Oct 1936.

ww2dbaseIn addition to the French military, some of them were sold abroad. Seven D.501 aircraft were sold to Lithuania, two to Saudi Arabia (which saw action in the Spanish Civil War with the Republican forces), and 24 to China (18 of which saw action against the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War).

ww2dbaseIn France, these fighters were replaced by the more advanced M.S.406 in 1939, though many of them remained in service in regional defense squadrons and training squadrons; in the French colonies in North Africa, they were also considered outdated aircraft, but played a greater role even by 1939.

ww2dbaseIn total, an estimated 381 aircraft were built.

SPECIFICATIONS

D.510

Machinery	One Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs V-12 engine rated at 860hp
Armament	1x20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.9 cannon, 2x7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns
Crew	1
Span	12.09 m
Length	7.94 m
Height	2.42 m
Wing Area	16.50 m²
Weight, Empty	1,496 kg
Weight, Loaded	1,929 kg
Speed, Maximum	402 km/h
Rate of Climb	14.85 m/s
Service Ceiling	11,000 m
Range, Normal	700 km

Photographs