Dewoitine D.370 (series)

Monoplane Fighter

France | 1935

"Originally part of French Air Force plans, the Dewoitine D.370 series fighter made its history with the Navy and export players."

Image from the Public Domain; D.371 pictured.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 09/24/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Because of its commitment to the D.50bis (to become the D.500 fighter), French aero-concern Dewoitine passed management of its private-venture D.37 project to Liore-et-Olivier (LeO). The D.37 was developed to satisfy the standing French Air Force C1 fighter program of 1930, the new handlers taking the original Emile Dewoitine design through its prototype, flight-testing, and production phases. Eventually becoming the "D.370", this monoplane fighter appeared under various successive brand labels before the end - including Dewoitine, SNCAM, and SNCASE. The aircraft was a contemporary to types such as the American Curtiss P-6 Hawk, the British Hawker Fury, and the Nazi German Heinkel He 51.

The prototype went airborne for the first time on October 1st, 1931 with its Gnome-Rhone 14Kbrs "Mistral Major" 14-cylinder, twin-row air-cooled radial piston engine at the nose. The arrangement was typical of many Interwar period fighters with open-air cockpit, fixed tail-dragger undercarriage, and braced parasol wing mainplane member. Various engine fits were then trialed and the cowling design appropriately revised. Further changes involved the mainplanes and a reworked undercarriage.

With the changes in place, the second prototype arrived as the D.371 of February 1934. This version also served as the initial production standard to serve the French Armee de l'Air air service. The version carried the uprated Gnome-Rhone 14Kfs engine instead - which offered 930 horsepower. Beyond this, the production model was given 4 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns in underwing placements - since the weapons sat outside of the propeller arc, no interrupter / synchronization gear was needed. Wheel brakes were also added to the design. A total of twenty-nine fighters were built to this standard with the last specimen leaving the factory floor in December of 1935.

The Spanish Republic acquired - through unofficial avenues - about a dozen or so unarmed versions of the D.371 fighters during August of 1936. Three armed forms then followed before the end of the year and the trio were used as bomber escorts en route to enemy targets at Toledo, managing to keep their wards alive during the sortie (facing off against He 51 biplanes no less). The series was in play until the Polikarpov I-15 and I-16 models began arriving from Russia. This left the D.371 without a defined frontline role and the trio were relegated to trainer duty from then on. Many of the fleet were subsequently lost during the bombing of Banolas by the German-led "Condor Legion" serving alongside Nationalist Spanish forces.

The next version became the D.372, these not having the wheel brakes of their precursor. The same engine was in play but the machine gun battery was revised to include a pair of 7.7mm Browning machine guns fitted over the engine mounting, this time synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades, while retaining wing-mounted machine guns (in the form of Darne types). Beyond this, some were finished with underwing-mounted 20mm cannons for a heftier offensive punch. About fourteen of this mark are believed to have been completed but for the Lithuanian Air Force. However, their ownership soon changed hands to the Spanish Republican Air Force which fielded them with their new D.371 fighters and the Lithuanians shifted to the D.501 series.

Some of the last surviving D.371 fighters flew into 1939.

As completed, the definitive D.371 has a length of 24.4 feet, a wingspan of 38.7 feet, and a height of 10.5 feet. Empty weight was 2,855lb against a gross rating of 3,815lb. Maximum speed reached 250 miles-per-hour while range was out to 710 miles. Its service ceiling was 36,100 feet.

The French Navy took on nineteen D.373 which were navalized variants powered by a Gnome-Rhone 14Kfs engine of 880 horsepower. These carried the 4 x MAC 1934 machine gun arrangement of the D.372. Another twenty-five navalized fighters emerged under the D.376 designation for the French Navy, these having folding wings for improved shipborne storage.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Dewoitine D.371 Monoplane Fighter.

1 x Gnome-Rhone 14Kds 14-cylinder, twin-row air-cooled radial piston engine developing 800 horsepower driving two- or three-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

249 mph
400 kph | 216 kts
Max Speed

36,089 ft
11,000 m | 7 miles
Service Ceiling

715 miles
1,150 km | 621 nm
Operational Range

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Dewoitine D.371 Monoplane Fighter.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

24.4 ft
7.45 m
O/A Length

38.7 ft
(11.80 m)
O/A Width

10.5 ft
(3.20 m)
O/A Height

2,866 lb
(1,300 kg)
Empty Weight

3,814 lb
(1,730 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Dewoitine D.370 (series) Monoplane Fighter .

STANDARD (D.371):
4 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns under the wings (two guns to a wing).

STANDARD (D.372):
2 x 7.7mm Browning Machine Guns in engine cowling, synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.
2 x 7.5mm Darne Machine Guns OR 2 x 20mm Automatic cannons under the wings (one gun to a wing).

D.373 (French Navy):
4 x 7.7mm Darne Machine Guns in the wings (two guns to a wing).

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Dewoitine D.370 (series) family line.

D.37 / D.370 - Base Prototype Model Designation by Liore-et-Olivier; Gnome-Rhone 14Kds engine of 740 horsepower; single example completed.

D.371 - Definitive production mark with Gnome-Rhone 14Kfs engine of 930 horsepower; wheel brakes for improved ground controlling; 4 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns under the wings; 29 examples completed.

D.372 - Lithuanian Air Force export model; Gnome-Rhone 14Kfs engine of 930 horsepower; 2 x 7.7mm Browning Machine Guns in engine cowling with 2 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns under the wings (replaced by 2 x 20mm automatic cannons in some models); 14 examples completed.

D.373 - French Navy model; Gnome-Rhone 14Kfs engine of 880 horsepower; 4 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns in wing; 19 examples completed.

D.376 - French Navy variant with folding wings.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Dewoitine D.370 (series). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 88 Units
Contractor(s): Dewoitine / SNCAM / SNCASE - France

[ France; Lithuania (limited); Spain ]

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain; D.371 pictured.

Going Further...
The Dewoitine D.370 (series) Monoplane Fighter appears in the following collections:

HOME

AVIATION INDEX

AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

SPANISH CIVIL WAR AIRCRAFT

WWII AIRCRAFT

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)