Dewoitine D.333/332 by F-RSIN
1/144 scale
Kit No. FR 14014
Cost: $25.00
Decals: One version – Air France
Comments: Cast resin kit; multiple delicate parts
History
The Dewoitine D.332 was a large, tri-engined all-metal cantilever low-wing airliner of the 1930’s. A large monoplane with fixed landing gear, a crew of three, and a cabin seating eight passengers, it was designed specifically for Air France, and took its maiden flight on July 11, 1933 with test pilot Marcel Doret at the controls. Intended to meet an Air France requirement to service the route to French Indochina, the prototype, dubbed “Émeraude” (“Emerald” in French) set out for Saigon on December 21, 1933 on a proving flight. Powered by three Hispano-Suiza 9 radial engines capable of 700 hp each, it arrived safely at Saigon on December 28th.
On the return flight on January 4, 1934 when only 250 miles (400 km) from its destination, Le Bourget airport, Émeraude struck a hill near Corbigny in a violent snowstorm and was destroyed, killing all ten people aboard. The likely cause of the accident was ice forming on the wings. Despite the tragedy, Air France ordered three more of an improved version designated the D.333.
Typical for resin kits, a number of parts bear flash, requiring clean-up.
The D. 333 took its maiden flight on January 17, 1935. It was heavier than the D.332, the fully loaded weight being increased by 1,650 kg (3,640 lb). Dewoitine had strengthened the airframe, and added a luggage compartment behind the fuselage-mounted engine. At the request of Air France executives who had the D.333 in mind for non-stop flights from Casablanca, Morocco to Dakar, Senegal, the fuselage was lengthened and three additional fuel tanks were added. The wing-mounted engines were moved closer to the fuselage and fitted with more aerodynamic cowlings. With these modifications, the three D.333s were used on the Toulouse-Dakar sector of the Air France South American route for several years.
The prototype D.333 was delivered to Air France on May 4, 1935 under the final registration F-ANQA. The two following aircraft, D 333-1 F-ANQB “Cassiopé” and D 333-2, F-ANQC “Altair” flew respectively in May 1935 and March 1936.
The first commercial flights of the new aircraft began in May 1936, on the Toulouse-Casablanca-Dakar line. It was during one of these flights that the D.333 F-ANQA “Antares,” carrying a full crew of three and two passengers, was caught in a violent storm and disappeared off the coast of Morocco on October 25, 1937. In December 1937, the two remaining D.333 were assigned by Air France on the lines of the South American network for the connection between Buenos Aires and Natal. The “Cassiopeia” was based in Rio de Janeiro, and “Altair” in Buenos Aires. These aircraft were transferred to the Argentine Air Force after World War II.
Here the delicate nature of resin parts, particularly in 1/144 scale, is evident. About half of the engine pistons will have to be rehabilitated somehow.
The Kit
F-RSIN’s Dewoitine333/332 Emeraude airliner is cast in pale beige resin and consists of 15 parts. There are no engravings of any kind except for the rudder on the fuselage. In 1/144 scale, this kit appears to have been engineered for a minimum of fuss in the assembly, unlike many resin kits. The fuselage is a single piece and is nearly completely finished; there is an area on its dorsal spine that still requires some sanding, and on the ventral surface there is an area that looks like the remains of a join seam that will have to be cured. The fuselage may initially have been two solid halves, , but other than these two minor defects it has been sanded completely smooth.
There is a delicate tail wheel assembly already fixed to the rear of the fuselage beneath the tail; the tiny tire appears to be made of black porcelain, and the rest of the assembly is metal wire that has been embedded in the undersurface of the fuselage. There are separate parts for the engine cowlings, radial engine faces, and finally three propellers, the blades of which appear to be made of wafer-thin resin. The wings and horizontal stabilizers are each separate parts and will require careful study of the color plate of the Dewoitine 333 provided with the decals for proper positioning.
Finally are the fixed, spatted main landing gear, which are each molded in a single piece integrating the wheels, which protrude from beneath the spats. These spatted gear are to fit over each wing, and getting them in just the right place will again require careful study of the color plate provided.
Markings
The markings are by Fly F-DCAL, and unlike those provided for F-RSIN’s Avro Jetliner, they are all perfectly in register. All cockpit and cabin windows are decals, which also include a couple of Air France winged seahorse logos, and two more small Air France banners to be positioned above the cabin windows on either side of the fuselage. Two types of markings are provided for the cabin windows, one set is solid black, the other has a more reflective quality.
As there are no physical engravings of any kind on the wings or fuselage, one decal particularly welcome is the one provided for the cabin door. Better still are the elaborate markings provided for the wings representing panel lines — these will have to be applied with great care. Three more panel line decals are provided, two for the horizontal stabilizers, and one for the vertical tailfin. Two different sets of call letters are provided, both purporting to be the letters for “Emeraude,” the first ill-fated prototype: F-ANQB, AND F-AMMY. Also included is a 6 x 8 inch two-view color plate, drawn to 1/144 scale to assist with decal placement.
Conclusion
This is a neat little kit that F-RSIN appears to have taken pains to engineer for ease of construction. All but forgotten today, the Dewoitine 333 was an iconic aircraft of the 1930’s that helped pave the way to today’s long range airliners. Highly recommended.
Passengers and onlookers alike mill about prior to the departure of a D.333 at Le Bourget Airport, Paris, 1936. Photo credit: aviationsmilitaires.net
References
- www.passionair1940.fr
- www.wikipedia.org
- www.aviastar.org