Dewoitine D.332

D.332
Role	Airliner
Manufacturer	Dewoitine
First flight	1933
Primary user	Air France
Number built	D.332 1 D.333 3
Variants	D.338

The Dewoitine D.332 was a 1930s French eight-passenger airliner built by Dewoitine.

Design and development

The D.332 was an all-metal cantilever low-wing monoplane. The pilot and co-pilot were seated side-by-side in a cabin located forward of the wing leading edge. A radio operator station was located behind the pilots, and it had a passenger cabin for eight passengers. The landing gear had trouser-type fairings on the main gear legs.

Operations

The aircraft first flew on 11 July 1933 powered by three Hispano-Suiza 9V radial engines. The prototype was named Emeraude (French: "Emerald") and carried out demonstration flights around European capitals. Emeraude gained a world class record on 7 September 1933 when it flew a 1,000 km (620 mi) course with a useful load of 2,000 kg (4,410 lb) at an average speed of 159.56 km/h (99.1 mph).

Dewoitine D.333 under construction. Assembly of the fuselage.

Designed to meet an Air France requirement for use on the route to French Indo-China, the aircraft set out for Saigon on 21 December 1933 on a proving flight. The aircraft arrived at Saigon on 28 December 1933. On the return flight when only 400 km (250 mi) from its destination, Le Bourget airport, Emeraude struck a hill near Corbigny in a violent snowstorm and was destroyed. Despite the accident, Air France decided to order three of an improved version designated the D.333. The D.333 was a heavier and strengthened 10-seat version, the fully loaded weight was increased by 1,650 kg (3,640 lb). The three D.333s were used on the Toulouse-Dakar sector of the Air France South American route for several years.

Variants

• D.332: Prototype aircraft with eight seats. One built.
• D.333: Production aircraft with 10 seats. Three built.
• D.338: Improved version with retractable undercarriage.

Operators

 France

• Air France

Specifications (D.332)

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

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 18.95 m (62 ft 2 in)
• Wingspan: 29 m (95 ft 1¾ in)
• Height: ()
• Wing area: 80 m² (861.14 ft²)
• Empty weight: 5,280 kg (11,640 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 9,350 kg (20,613 lb)
• Powerplant: 3 × Hispano-Suiza V9 (licence-built Wright Cyclone) radial piston, 429 kW (575 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 300 km/h (186 mph)
• Cruise speed: 250 km/h (155 mph)
• Range: 2,000 km (1,243 mi)
• Service ceiling: 6,300 m (20,670 ft)

References

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 

External links

• "Wings Over Four Continents" Popular Mechanics, December 1935 excellent photo of D.332 in flight top pp. 866