Azur's 1/72
Dewoitine D.371/372

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

History

The Dewoitine 371 was a parasol fighter that first flew in 1934. Powered by a Gnome-Rhône engine, the Dewoitine 371 was a decent fighter in 1934, but by the time it saw combat in the Spanish Civil War in 1936, it was quickly outclassed by the latest fighters of Germany and Italy. Even so, the French Navy ordered specialized versions of the plane, identified as the D.373 and D.376, and Lithuania ordered fourteen D.372s as well. When the Dewoitines went to Spain to fight, the fourteen Lithuanian D.372s and ten French D.371s flew for the Republicans. During the first few months of the war the D.371s and D.372s did a decent job of fighting in the air, but it was only a matter of time before more potent Polikarpov fighters replaced them. Even so, French D.371s were still in service in 1939/1940, when Germany invaded.

The Kit (click on thumbnails for larger image)

If you like French planes of the 1930s and 1940s, then you are probably very familiar with the Azur name. While their catalog is small (this kit is number 10), nearly all of their kits have been of French subjects, and most have never been seen in injection plastic before. Such is the case with the Dewoitine D.371/372. The only other kits I could find of this plane was an old vacuform, and this kit definitely puts that to shame.

Molded in light gray plastic, the kit features some well-done recessed panel lines on the fuselage, excellent rib treatment on the wings and tailplanes, and a decent injection cockpit. The cowling, with its small rocker arm bumps, is provided as a very crisp resin casting, along with the engine that it covers, done with separate cylinders. The resin parts are done by CMK and are very nicely done.

Construction is simple, with clear diagrams outlining the differences between the D.371 and the D.372. Decisions will need to be made early on, depending on which version you want to do. With the decals offering Spanish, French, and Lithuanian options, there's no shortage of interesting schemes to do, either. Putting the wing and landing gear on will be a challenge, as there are lots of struts and braces, with only some bumps on the fuselage and some small, shallow holes in the wing. With things going in all kinds of directions, this kit screams for a jig to keep everything aligned. The drawings here are very clear, though, and as long as care is taken and this step isn't rushed, there shouldn’t be any problem.

The decal sheet, as I've said, gives options for French, Spanish, and Lithuanian planes. The French example is a D.371 and is finished as the box artwork shows, although according to the instructions the D.372 is the one that has the guns on the undersides of the wing. So the box artwork isn't totally accurate, but it is as far as the colors and markings go. The Lithuanian D.372 is finished similarly, except the fuselage is all silver, with the green being restricted to the upper surfaces of the wing and stabilizers and the vertical tail and rudder. There are two Spanish examples, one D.371 and one D.372. The D.372 is silver overall, with a green upper wing. Red wing and fuselage bands typical of Republican Air Force fighters are present, as is the red/yellow/purple rudder. The D.371 is camouflaged green over silver, with the demarcation very low on the fuselage. The markings remain the same as for the Spanish D.372.

Conclusion

Azur keeps putting out some excellent little kits of little-known French subjects, and the quality of the kit keeps getting better and better. With all of the obscure subject matter that's in their product line, they add a bit of unique variety to the usual Mustang or Bf109. This kit is no exception and while the wing attachments might be difficult, I would recommend this kit to anyone who is looking for something off the beaten path.