Dewoitine D.501
Dewoitine · France · first flew 1933 · fighter
The Dewoitine D.501 is a French single-seat monoplane fighter of the mid-1930s, a development of the D.500 series introducing a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza cannon firing through the propeller shaft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.55 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed spatted undercarriage
- cannon firing through the propeller hub
- clean elliptical-tapered wing with straight trailing edge
A clean low-wing monoplane with a distinctive long nose housing the liquid-cooled V-12 engine, spatted fixed undercarriage, and a wing of moderate taper — broadly similar to contemporaries but identified by the moteur-canon installation.
Specifications
- The Dewoitine D.501 has a length of 7.55 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.09 m (40 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 360 km/h (224 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Derived from the earlier D.500, the D.501 entered Armée de l'Air service in 1935 and represented the cutting edge of French fighter design for a brief period. It was powered by the liquid-cooled Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs engine and carried a moteur-canon armament arrangement that would influence French fighter design for a decade.
Variants
The D.500, D.501, and D.510 formed a closely related family; the D.510 was the most capable, fitted with a more powerful engine and exported to several nations including China and Turkey.
Where you'll see it
The D.501 served with the Armée de l'Air until superseded by more modern types; it saw limited action and was withdrawn from front-line service by 1939, though some examples remained in second-line roles into 1940.
Related aircraft
- Dewoitine D.376
- Dewoitine D.500
- Dewoitine D.510
- Dewoitine D.333
- Arado Ar 67
- Avia B-534
- Avia B-534-IV
- Boeing XF6B-1
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