Romantic Technofreak
21st February 2009, 19:02
Hi friends, there are aircraft that easily get out of sight, especially if there is not much to say about them. The Dewoitine HD.730/731 is one of them. This text, a re-translation from the Encyclopedia of World Aircraft (version 1997), cannot be more than a little reminder.
The Dewoitine HD.730/731
In 1937, the French Navy demanded a light observer aircraft, being capable of catapult take-off. For this, a group of constructors, headed by Emile Dewoitine, drafted the HD.730, for the SNCAM state trust, in which the firm Dewoitine had emerged.
The HD.730 was constructed completely in metal, except the control areas which were finished in fabric. The wings were foldable for onboard storage. Undercarriage were twin floats. The twin vertical stabilizers carried rudders on the ends of the horizontal fins, and the crew of two was housed onder a long cabin roof made from transparent material. In March 1938, two prototypes were ordered, which received an inline engine of type Renault 6Q-03 for propulsion. In February 1940, the trial sample HD.730.01 took off for the first time from the Etang de Berre (a lake near the Mediterranean coast, very well known as many French seaplanes were operated there, RT).
Testing this aircraft, and the HD.730.02 as well, showed that a stronger engine was necessary. For serial production, a Bearn-6D-piston engine delivering 258 kW (350 hp) was foreseen. When France surrendered, the trials of the HD.730 prototypes were temporarily stopped.
Despite the surrender, a third, modified aircraft appeared, designated HD.731.02. Compared to the HD.730, it was smaller, and equipped with the Bearn-6D-engine provided for serial production. It flew for the first time on 11 March 1941. Lots of modifications were done, until it was found out, that a bigger wing area was necessary. Subsequently the further development was stopped.
Meanwhile, also the both original prototypes became equipped wit the Bearn-6D, but only the HD.731.02 made it into the air. For five years, the aircraft flew in a begin-change-end-manner (?, RT).
A training variant, HD.732 with Renault 6Q engine, was not followed up with.
End of that short text. In my eyes, this aircraft was not suitable for any frontline service, depending upon the weak performance of both used engines. It rather should have been a concept for a floatplane trainer, so the last version was the only promising one.
Let me add two pictures from guyrevel.free.fr, you can find the same ones on airwar.ru. A bit enlarged and brightend up using XnView.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/908c9f34.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/41571682.jpg
Regards, RT
The Dewoitine HD.730/731
In 1937, the French Navy demanded a light observer aircraft, being capable of catapult take-off. For this, a group of constructors, headed by Emile Dewoitine, drafted the HD.730, for the SNCAM state trust, in which the firm Dewoitine had emerged.
The HD.730 was constructed completely in metal, except the control areas which were finished in fabric. The wings were foldable for onboard storage. Undercarriage were twin floats. The twin vertical stabilizers carried rudders on the ends of the horizontal fins, and the crew of two was housed onder a long cabin roof made from transparent material. In March 1938, two prototypes were ordered, which received an inline engine of type Renault 6Q-03 for propulsion. In February 1940, the trial sample HD.730.01 took off for the first time from the Etang de Berre (a lake near the Mediterranean coast, very well known as many French seaplanes were operated there, RT).
Testing this aircraft, and the HD.730.02 as well, showed that a stronger engine was necessary. For serial production, a Bearn-6D-piston engine delivering 258 kW (350 hp) was foreseen. When France surrendered, the trials of the HD.730 prototypes were temporarily stopped.
Despite the surrender, a third, modified aircraft appeared, designated HD.731.02. Compared to the HD.730, it was smaller, and equipped with the Bearn-6D-engine provided for serial production. It flew for the first time on 11 March 1941. Lots of modifications were done, until it was found out, that a bigger wing area was necessary. Subsequently the further development was stopped.
Meanwhile, also the both original prototypes became equipped wit the Bearn-6D, but only the HD.731.02 made it into the air. For five years, the aircraft flew in a begin-change-end-manner (?, RT).
A training variant, HD.732 with Renault 6Q engine, was not followed up with.
End of that short text. In my eyes, this aircraft was not suitable for any frontline service, depending upon the weak performance of both used engines. It rather should have been a concept for a floatplane trainer, so the last version was the only promising one.
Let me add two pictures from guyrevel.free.fr, you can find the same ones on airwar.ru. A bit enlarged and brightend up using XnView.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/908c9f34.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/41571682.jpg
Regards, RT