Single engine single seat fighter

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      In the early twenties the Nieuport NiD29 C1 was numerically the most important fighter in the Aviation Militaire Belge. Because the French design was not considered a major improvement over the WWI fighters and due to its inability to perform aerobatics (caused by its fragility) it was an aircraft not particularly liked by its pilots. In a first attempt to standardise its aircraft (and engines) the Belgian authorities organised a comparative competition in 1926. For this purpose a number of then new and promising designs were evaluated: the Czech Avia BH.21 and the French Dewoitine D.9 and D.19. In the end the Avia BH.21 was ordered and the Dewoitines remained “one offs” in Belgium.
The Dewoitine D.9 C1 was a scaled up version of the D.1 being powered by a 420hp nine-cylinder radial Gnome-Rhone 9 Ac engine (license built Bristol Jupiter IV). Armament consisted of two fuselage-mounted 7.7mm Vickers guns and two Darne model 19 guns of 7.5mm calibre mounted on the wing centre section. The single D.9 acquired for the Aviation Militaire arrived on August 6th. 1926 receiving registration J.2 and being evaluated at Evere, Wevelgem and Nivelles airbases by several test- and fighter pilots. On 15 October 1935 this unique aircraft was sold in a public auction appearing on the Belgian civil register as OO-ARD
     Because already at that time Belgium wanted to standardisation on one single engine type for its fighter/reconnaissance aircraft (the readily available Hispano-Suiza being a favourite) another Dewoitine variant was acquired, the D.19 C1. The D.19 C1 delivered to the Belgian authorities was in fact a second prototype of a machine introducing a number of specific modifications ordered for the Swiss government. A 400 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Jb 12-cylinder water-cooled in line Vee type of engine powered the fighter. Armament was composed of two fuselage-mounted 7.7mm guns. This D.19 registered J.1 (it arrived before the D.9 on 26February 1926) was also thoroughly tested but couldn’t convince the authorities. At one time Willy Coppens d’Houthulst used this aircraft as his personal mount with the groupe de chasse of Nivelles. (D. Brackx)