Dewoitine D.19

The Dewoitine D.19 was a fighter aircraft built in France in 1925 in response to a French Air Force solicitation.

Design and development

A development of the D.1, the D.19 shared the D.1's parasol-wing configuration, but featured an all-new wing of increased span, and had double the engine power. Although rejected by the French Air Force, a demonstration for the Swiss government in August 1925 led to an order for three aircraft. An additional example was sold to Belgium, incorporating the same changes requested by the Swiss. These included a change in the wing (changing back to become more similar to the D.1), and the replacement of the Lamblin radiators with a more conventional frontal radiator.

Operational history

While the first Swiss D.19 was entirely constructed by Dewoitine in France, the remaining two aircraft were supplied to be assembled by the Swiss factory EKW. The aircraft were used for many years by the Swiss Fliegertruppe as trainers for fighter pilots, remaining in service until 1940. All three participated in the international aviation meet at Dübendorf in 1927, with one of the D.19s winning the closed-circuit race.

Operators

• Belgian Air Force

Switzerland

• Swiss Air Force

Czechoslovakia

• Civil registration L-BYSA

Specifications (D.19 C.1)

Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1928, Aviafrance:Dewoitine D.19

General characteristics

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• Fuel capacity: Template:Cvt (ca. Template:Cvt)Template:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/convert
• Propellers: 2-bladed wooden fixed pitch propellerTemplate:Aircraft specs/length

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• Power/mass: Template:Cvt

Armament

• Guns: 2 × fixed, forward-firing Template:Cvt Vickers machine guns