Dewoitine D. 510 by Heller
1/72 scale
Kit No. 102
Cost: $10.00
Decals: Two versions – both Armee de l’Air
Comments: Released 1978; basic, open cockpit; raised panel lines
History
The Dewoitine D.500, from which the D.510 was derived, was an all-metal, open-cockpit, fixed-undercarriage monoplane fighter, flown by the French Air Force in the mid- to late-1930s. Entering service in October 1936, the D.510 was notable for its V-12 engine (more powerful than that of the D.500), and the installation of a 20mm cannon between its cylinder banks, firing through the propeller hub. Despite these cutting edge features, with its open cockpit and fixed landing gear, the D.510 represented a fighter design that was on its way out. It was soon replaced by a new generation of fighter aircraft with enclosed cockpits and retractable undercarriage, including the two aircraft which succeeded it in Armee de l’Air service, the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 and the American-built Curtiss H-75 Hawk.
Designed by Emil Dewoitine for SAF-Avions Dewoitine, the basic D.500 airframe was based on specifications issued in 1930 by the French Air Ministry, and was intended to replace the Nieuport 62 in front line service. The prototype first flew on 18 June 1932. In November 1933, sixty aircraft were ordered, with the first production D.500 flying on 29 November 1934. Aircraft armed with a 20mm cannon firing through the propeller hub – instead of two nose-mounted machine guns – received the designation D.501. A total of 381 D.500s and its derivatives were built.
The first of the D. 510 prototypes flew (without the cannon fitted) on 14 August 1934; the second (with cannon) followed on 10 December. Apart from its engine, the D. 510 was fundamentally similar to the D. 501, the cannon being complemented by a pair of 7.5mm wing guns. In May 1935, the Ministere de l’Air placed an initial contract for 35 (later reduced to 25) D. 510s, these being delivered from October 9, 1936. Seven more D. 510s were then built for the Armee de l’Air as agreed replacements for a similar number of D. 501s taken from the service’s deliveries as part of an order bound for the Lithuanian Air Force. Follow-on contracts then called for a total of 80 more aircraft, 56 for the Armee de l’Air and 24 D. 510s for China.
Other export D.510s were single examples sent to the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, and two to Japan for evaluation purposes, and two, unofficially, to Republican Spain. These last had been the first two of a cancelled contract for Turkey and were ostensibly sold to the Hedjaz (Saudi Arabia). When it was revealed that the two D.510s had arrived in Spain, the French government insisted that their engines be returned to France. Eventually, both aircraft were fitted with M-100 (licence-built HS 12Ybrs) engines from a Tupolev SB bomber and allegedly saw some combat. In the Armee de l’Air, three Groupes de Chasse (pursuit groups) were still flying the D. 510 at the beginning of World War II, but were re-equipped during the first months of the conflict. Two Escadrilles Regionale de Chasse in North Africa converted to D. 510s in September-October 1939, flying them until mid-1940, and two escadrilles of the Aeronautique Navale formed on D. 510s in December 1939 and May 1940.
Operational History
The D.500 and D.501 entered service in July 1935, with the more powerful D.510 joining them in October 1936. They were the primary fighters of the Armée de l’Air until their replacement by the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 in 1939. As of September 1939, the D.500/501 had been relegated to regional defense and training squadrons. In Morocco, one escadrille of D.510s (ERC571) was activated in November 1939. These planes lacked the 20mm cannon. In May 1940, this escadrille merged with ERC 573 to form GC III/4. This groupe was disbanded by the end of August 1940. At Dakar, one groupe designated GC I/6, remained in service until being replaced by Curtiss H-75s at the end of 1941.
Fourteen D.501s (named D.501L), originally sold to Lithuania, and two D.510s ostensibly intended for the Emirate of Hedjaz saw service in the Spanish Civil War, arriving in mid-1936. The aircraft served with the Republican forces. The two 510s were posted to the 71st Coastal Defense Group. Neither engaged enemy fighters. In 1938, one was irreparably damaged while landing and the other was destroyed on a runway during a bombing attack. In 1938, 18 Chinese D.510s saw action against the Japanese, including the defense of Chengdu and the Chinese wartime capital Chongqing.
When war came, the D.510 was an aging design pressed into service until better fighter aircraft were available. Ultimately the firm of Dewoitine would produce a truly modern fighter, the sleek D. 520, but it would enter service too late and in too few numbers to make a difference in the fortunes of France during the Second World War.
Construction
To begin with, one issue of note is that the D.510 had a fairly large dorsal antenna which is molded directly onto the fuselage of the kit. Ideally this would have been a separate part, and cemented on at a latter stage of construction, for early on it began to get in the way. Rather than break it accidentally and possibly lose it, I cut it off cleanly at the base with an Xacto blade, and set it aside for re-attachment later. Heller’s decision to have the dorsal antenna form part of the fuselage is odd, since there is also a ventral antenna of comparable size, and it is a separate part.
The kit is injection molded in dark grey and comes on two sprues. Construction is relatively straightforward and trouble-free, however in the cockpit the clearance between the pilot’s seat, control yoke and instrument panel is a bit tight. Still, the fuselage closes up with no problem. The fit of the parts is OK, there are minor issues with the parts for the engine cowling which required a fair amount of putty and sanding to achieve the D.510’s clean, streamlined look. The big radiator under the nose also required puttying to hide join seams. When cementing the wings together, be sure to first drill small holes in the lower halves which correspond to the attachment points for the main landing gear struts.
When I cemented the wings to the fuselage, more putty was required for the join seams on the belly, but the upper surfaces nestled so snugly against the fuselage that no additional work up top was needed. The main landing gear are fixed and are a bit fiddly. The spats required puttying, sanding and touch-up painting before they were presentable, and if you follow the directions you will end up attaching the gear to the fuselage via the support struts rather than the main struts. While the support struts have less load-bearing capability, it is not a problem, as they can take the weight until you attach the main struts, which connect the spats with the under surface of the wings. The finished product is pretty rugged.
The kit is well-engineered from the viewpoint that the wings and horizontal stabilizers, once cemented on, align exactly as they are supposed to and require no adjustment. Likewise for the landing gear, which require some positioning as the glue sets, so it is best to use a glue other than quick-drying cyanoacrylate on that step.
Painting
I airbrushed the D.510’s exterior with a flat black acrylic primer by Vallejo, followed by several light coats of Alclad Aluminum a day or two later. As the D.510 entered service with the Armee de l’Air in 1936, camouflage schemes were not yet the order of the day, as they would be by the late 1930’s. Many contemporary military aircraft from this era also appeared in natural metal finish, although this began to change with the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and the general increase in tensions in Europe from 1937 on. Later versions of the D.510 sported the green, brown and intermediate blue scheme seen on French aircraft of the early WWII period. The cockpit is painted in Humbrol enamels, Olive Green seat, floor and sidewalls, with a Matt Black instrument panel.
Markings
The kit decals were original issue from 1978 and were cracked and yellowed, well past their useful life. I replaced them with a set for the Dewoitine D.500 series by LF Models, “Dewoitine D.500 over France.” These markings depict an aircraft from 3e Escadrille, GCII/2, deployed somewhere in France during 1936. These are remarkably thin, strong decals that can be challenging because they fold over on themselves rather easily, but they adhered to the model very well and responded readily to decal solvent. Their color and registration are excellent.
Conclusion
This is a fun kit if you are looking for something different from the Golden Age of Aviation, and an era when France was one of the leading aviation powers in the world. Highly recommended.
References
- www.avistar.org
- www.wikipedia.org