Did you know the Dragonfly 338 owes its existence to the skies of the 1930s? It is more than just a name. It echoes an era of French aviation innovation.
The Dragonfly 338 was not a mythical beast but a very real airliner. It carried passengers across continents. Imagine stepping aboard this aircraft in the late 1930s.
This airliner emerged from the Dewoitine factories in France. It was designed to carry 22 passengers. But depending on the route it could carry 12 to 18 passengers. The Dragonfly 338 offered a mix of comfort and reliability for its time.
The story of the Dragonfly 338 begins with its predecessors. The Dewoitine D.332 was the first in the line of three-engined airliners. A single D.332 was built. It met a tragic end during a record-breaking attempt from Paris to Saigon. This led to the creation of the heavier and larger D.333.
In 1933, a new design was initiated. It was the D.335 with a retractable undercarriage. It was intended for Air France and SABENA. The D.332 crash caused a redesign. The D.335 project was put on hold. The D.338 project began in 1934.
Emile Dewoitine continued with the prototype D.338. Like its predecessors the D.338 was a low-wing monoplane. It had an all-metal construction. It was larger than the D.333. It was powered by three 650 hp Hispano-Suiza engines. These engines drove constant-speed propellers. The aircraft’s retractable tailwheel undercarriage added to its advanced design.
Inside, the Dragonfly 338 was adaptable. It could carry 22 passengers on European routes. For longer routes to South America or North Africa, the capacity was reduced to 15 or 18. On the longest routes to the Far East, it carried 12 passengers. Six seats could convert into sleeping berths.
Marcel Doret piloted the first prototype on its maiden flight on August 9 1935. The initial flight revealed longitudinal stability issues. Engineers tested various tail surfaces and fuselage-wing fairings. These changes eventually resolved the problems.
Air France and the French government placed orders after the D.338’s satisfactory performance. A total of 31 D.338s were built. The prototype received its airworthiness certificate on June 26 1936. It began service on the Paris-Lyon-Marseille route on July 13 1936.
By the end of 1939, 29 aircraft had been delivered. The Dragonfly 338 flew routes within Europe. It also flew to Dakar Senegal. It served the transcontinental route connecting Paris and Saigon. The service extended to Hong Kong in August 1938. Two D.338s were sent to South America in 1939.
With the outbreak of World War II, 12 Air France D.338s were requisitioned by the French Air Force. They served as long-range transports. The Vichy French government continued to operate the D.338. Aircraft in South America and Indochina could not return to France. The two South American aircraft were sold to Argentina in 1941.
After the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942, Germany seized the Air France fleet in mainland France. Seven D.338s were leased to Deutsche Lufthansa. Lufthansa found them unsuitable. The eight D.338s in North Africa joined Free French control. They continued service on the Algiers-Casablanca-Dakar route.
Nine D.338s survived the war. They rejoined Air France. They flew on Paris-Nice and trans-Mediterranean services. The last D.338s were retired in 1949.
The Dragonfly 338 also had some variants. The D.342 was an improved version with room for 24 passengers. It was delivered to Air France in 1942. The D.620 was a development with more powerful engines and room for 30 passengers. But it was never delivered.
The Dragonfly 338 faced its share of adversity. On May 2 1939, an Air France D.338 crashed near Argana Morocco. All nine people on board died. The crash was caused by sudden icing conditions. Pneumatic deicing boots were subsequently fitted to several D.338s.
The Dragonfly 338 represents a period of ambition in aviation. It represents a time when air travel was becoming accessible.