Dewoitine D.338

Design and development

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.

Operational service

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

Air France

Lignes Aériennes Militaires (LAM), a Free French line, flew 338s between Beirut and Brazzaville, French Congo, during World War II.

French Air Force

 Germany

Lufthansa flew seven D.338s seized 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.

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)

Cruising speed: 260 km/h (162 mph; 140 kn)

Range: 1,950 km (1,212 mi; 1,053 nmi)

Service ceiling: 4,900 m (16,076 ft)