In 1937, the French Air Ministry drew up a specification for a twin-engined torpedo bomber to operate from the French Navy's two planned new aircraft carriers, the Joffre and Painlevé. The Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du Midi (SNCAM) submitted a design (which was developed by the design team formerly of Dewoitine), that became part of SNCAM when it was established in 1937.[1]
SNCAM's design, the Dewoitine D.750 was a low-winged monoplane of all-metal stressed skin construction, powered by two Renault 12R air-cooled V12 engines. It was fitted with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage and a twin tail. The fuselage, of similar layout to the competing SNCAO CAO.600 housed the crew of two or three required by the specification in separate cockpits. The bombardier/navigator sat in the nose, with the pilot sitting behind him, above and to the left of the navigator. The radio operator/gunner sat aft of the wing, operating Darne machine guns in dorsal and ventral positions.[2]
Two prototypes of the D.750 were ordered by the French Air Ministry on 26 June 1939,[1] the first example making its maiden flight on 6 May 1940 with SNCAM's chief test pilotMarcel Doret at the controls.[3] A few days later, however, Nazi Germanyinvaded France and the Low countries, and the first prototype had not completed manufacturers tests before France surrendered on 25 June. This caused development of the D.750 to be abandoned, with the second prototype incomplete.[4]
