This plane is for decoration and static display only by aviation musem, schools, or expo etc.

Materials: Metal (or wood)

Time for shipping: around 3-6 months from the first deposit

Shipping method: sea frieght (Contact us for price)

Color scheme: Customized

Size: 100% or 50% scale

The Dewoitine 500 series represented the most modern, technically ambitious fighters of their day. They marked a transition phase between open-cockpit biplanes of the 1920s and the more modern aircraft of World War II.

In 1930 the French Aeronautique Militaire issued specifications for a new fighter to replace the aging Nieuport-Delage ND 62s then deployed. It fell upon designer Emile Dewoitine to conceive a revolutionary new concept that spelled the beginning of the end for biplanes. First flown in 1932, the Dewoitine 500 exuded modernity. It was a cantilevered, low-wing monoplane constructed entirely of metal. The craft was covered by stressed metal sheeting and completely devoid of drag-inducing struts and bracing wires. The only seemingly antiquated feature was fixed landing gear with conspicuous oblong spats. The in-line engine was closely covered by a pointed cowl, giving the craft an ultramodern, very sleek appearance. In the air, the Dewoitine was faster than its biplane contemporaries, more maneuverable, and, because of its metal construction, much stronger. The Armee de l’Air was duly impressed by the new machine, and it entered production in 1933. Within two years a total of 143 were built, including a number of cannon-armed Model 501s.

In August 1934 Dewoitine fielded a more refined version, the Model 510. It mounted a larger rudder, an uprated engine, and other aerodynamic refinements. Consequently, it became the first French fighter to exceed 250 miles per hour in level flight. The French air service acquired an additional 120 of these sleek machines, with a further 30 being assigned to the Navy’s Aviation Maritime (naval air arm). These craft also caught the attention of several governments and were exported abroad, with China acquiring 24 D 510s, Lithuania 14. The Dewoitine series still equipped several frontline units as late as 1940, at which time they had been overtaken and rendered obsolete by the newer Messerschmitt Bf 109. Nonetheless, the D 500 series made history by anticipating modern design trends by several years.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1

  Length: 7.94 m (26 ft 1 in)

  Wingspan: 12.09 m (39 ft 8 in)

  Height: 2.42 m (7 ft 11 in)

  Wing area: 16.50 m² (177.61 ft²)

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