| Home | THE JET AGE RESERVE COLLECTION |
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FRENCH AIRCRAFT AT DISPERSAL |
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| At the start of 2008, some of the
smallest aircraft in the Jet Age Reserve
Model Collection were
chosen to experimentally populate a new design of modular display cabinet. As the 150mm depth of the shelves precluded most 1/72 scale twin (and larger single) engined aircraft, the opportunity was taken to field some of the small models that have had little or no public airing since the Jet Age Museum left Staverton in 2000. |
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| For more on German aircraft built before 1918 visit Kaiser Bill's Air Force on this site | ||
| For more on later German aircraft in the Jet Age Reserve Model Collection click here | ||
| For more on Italian aircraft in the Jet Age Reserve Model Collection click here | ||
| For more on Japanese aircraft in the Jet Age Reserve Model Collection click here | ||
| For more on Soviet aircraft in the Jet Age Reserve Model Collection click here | ||
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| The Dewoitine D500 may have been
the most modern looking fighter of its day when first
flown in 1932 but it was essentially a transitional
design, bridging the gap between open cockpit
fabric-covered biplanes and the new all-metal monoplanes
characterised by the Soviet Polikarpov I-16. The D500 was made entirely
of light alloy and attracted much overseas interest. The
subsequent D501, first flown in 1934, and even later D510
had improved engine power, fuel capacity and armament but
with a top speed of 249 mph the D510 was no match for the
invading Nazi fighters ranged against it in May 1940.
Some Dewoitine 500 series aircraft were transferred to
French squadrons overseas before the Battle of France and
some exported examples fought in China until 1941. Unfortunately this model was damaged beyond realistic repair on its return from the display cabinet experiment in April 2008 and is therefore no longer on the strength of the Jet Age Reserve Model Collection |
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