Dewoitine D.338

The Dewoitine D.338 was a 1930s French 22-passenger airliner built by Dewoitine.

D.338
Role Airliner
Manufacturer Dewoitine
First flight 1936
Primary user Air France
Number built D.338 30
D.342 1
D.620 1
Developed from D.333

Design and development
Publicité of Air France, 1939.

The D.338 was a development of the D.333 with retractable undercarriage. First flown in 1936 it had a slightly increased wingspan, and the fuselage was lengthened by 3.18 m (10 ft 5¼ in). For short routes, the aircraft could carry 22 passengers, aircraft used in the Far East were fitted with 12 luxury seats, including six that could be converted into sleeping berths.

Air France Dewoitine D.342
Dewoitine D.620 photo from L'Aerophile February 1936

Operational service

In the late 1930s Air France used the D.338 on its transcontinental route to French Indo-China, connecting Paris and Saigon. In 1939 the service was extended to Hong Kong.[1]

The D.338 had a reputation for reliability and was used during World War II in the French overseas possessions. Nine aircraft that survived the war were operated on the Paris-Nice service for several months.

Variants
D.338
Main production version, 30 built.
D.342
One aircraft built in 1939 with improved lines and room for 24-passengers, powered by three 682 kW (915 hp) Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines. Delivered to Air France in 1942.
D.620
Development of the D.338 with three supercharged 656 kW (880 hp) Gnome-Rhône 14Krsd radial engines and room for 30 passengers, one built but not delivered.

Operators
 France
 Germany
  • Lufthansa flew seven D.338s acquired by the Germans during World War II.
 Argentina
  • The Argentine Air Force operated two Dewoitine 338s after World War II: F-AQBT Ville de Chartres was given the military registration T 170 and F-AQBR Ville de Pau became T 171. Both planes flew until the late 1940s.

Accidents and incidents

On 2 May 1939, an Air France D.338 (registration F-ARIC) encountered sudden icing conditions during a flight from Dakar, Senegal, to Casablanca, French Morocco, and crashed near Argana, French Morocco, killing all nine people on board.[2]

Specifications (D.338)

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)

General characteristics

  • Crew: four
  • Capacity: 12, 15, 18, or 22 depending on route
  • Length: 22.13 m (72 ft 7 in)
  • Wingspan: 29 m (95 ft 2 in)
  • Wing area: 80 m2 (860 sq ft)
  • Max takeoff weight: 11,150 kg (24,582 lb)
  • Powerplant: 3 × Hispano-Suiza 9V-16 / Hispano-Suiza 9V-17 9-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engines, 480 kW (650 hp) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 301 km/h (187 mph, 163 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 260 km/h (160 mph, 140 kn)
  • Range: 1,950 km (1,210 mi, 1,050 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 4,900 m (16,100 ft)

References
  1. Eden, P. E. Civil Aircraft 1907-Present 2012 p.52, p.55 drawing ISBN 9781908696649
  2. Aviation Safety Network: Accident Description

Bibliography
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dewoitine D.338.
  • Espérou, Robert (June 1989). "Les Dewoitine D.338" [The Dewoitine D.338]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French). No. 235. pp. 30–35.
  • Espérou, Robert (July 1989). "Les Dewoitine D.338 (2 et fin)" [The Dewoitine D.338 (Part 2]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French). No. 236. pp. 14–20.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
  • Munson, Kenneth (1972). Airliners between the wars 1919-39. New York: The Macmillan Co.
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