Founded at Toulouse in 1922 by Emile Dewoitine to build
all-metal aircraft. His first fighter, the D.1, appeared that
year and his ultralight D.7 of
D 1
1923 was demonstrated in
the U.S.A.. Designed and built a number of fighters, of
which the D.21 of 1927 was built in Switzerland and
France, and in 1929 in the Argentine. As no French orders
were forthcoming, Dewoitine went to Switzerland in 1927
and formed the Societe
D 21
Aeronautique Dewoitine. Returned
to France 1930, establishing a manufacturing agreement
with Liore et Olivier, which was entrusted with the
redesign of his D.531 to become the D.37 for the Armee
de I'Air. He produced two long-range aircraft, both lost on
record attempts, and airliners for Air France,
D 520
but in the
main developed a successful family of fighters, the last of
which, the D.520 of 1938-1940, was known as the
"French Spitfire." Merged into SNCAM in 1936.
During the war the Group formed the Societe Industrielle
pour I'Aviation with the organization that represented General
Motors in France, building the Arado Ar 196 and Ar
199 and developing the Ar 296.
