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Tamiya 1/48 Dewoitine D.520 Chasseur (Fighter) by Vince Fiore |
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The Dewoitine D.520 was slightly slower than the Messerschmitt Bf 109E but clearly superior in manoeuvrability. A comparison was made on April 21, 1940 with an intact Bf 109E-3
that had been brought down in French territory. This comparison highlighted the fine qualities of the best French fighter of the Second World War. Had France not capitulated
in June 1940, the Dewoitine D.520's career might have been comparable to that of the MC.202/205V, Me.109 and the Spitfire. Of the 246 D.520s built by the time of the invasion, only 79 were
in front-line service on May 10, 1940, too few to have a significant effect. The D.520 was conceived in 1936; it was a private undertaking of the famous French airplane builder
Emile Dewoitine, but the project was not officially accepted by French military authorities until April 3, 1938. The French government had already ordered Morane-Saulnier 405s, and
the development of still another fighter airrcraft did not seem sensible. The first Dewoitine D.520 prototype took to the air on October 2, 1938, but did not make a very favourable
impression. Because of the arrangement of the radiators the engine overheated, and the airplane failed to reach its expected speed of about 325 mph (523 km/h). The airplane was altered,
the radiators being moved from the wings to the belly of the aircraft, and the exhausts were redesigned. The main difficulties had been overcome, and a second prototype was built, with
its rudder, cockpit, and under-carriage subsequently modified. During official test flights, this airplane reached speeds up to 340 mph (547 km/h) at 17,000 ft (5,200 m) altitude. The
airplane reached a height of over 26,000 ft (8,000 m) in 12 minutes and 53 seconds. When preliminary testing ended, in April 1939, an initial order for 200 aircraft was placed, with
delivery set between September and December, and a second order was placed in June for 510 airplanes. By April 1940 total orders amounted to 2,320 aircraft, to be delivered at a rate
of 350 each month. Production was very slow because of difficulties in tuning the engine and fitting the armament, and by January 1940 only 13 airplanes had come off the assembly line. It was April, when the 139th aircraft was delivered, that the Dewoitine D.520 could be connsidered fully operational, and by June 25, when the armistice was signed, a total of 437 airplanes had been built. Production was resumed by the Germans in the summer of 1941 and continued until December 1942. The Dewoitine D.520 was used by the German Luftwaffe and by the Regia Aeronautica (for bomber interception duty) as well as the Bulgarian, and Romanian air forces, and by Free French units when the Allies invaded Europe in June 1944. After the war a few dozen D.520s were equipped with dual controls and used as training aircraft. The last D.520 fighters remained in service until September 1953, in a non-combat unit, the Escadrille de Presentation de I' Armee de I' Air. With the Regia Aeronautica, the D.520 was the only French type to see combat service. The D.520 equipped nine different fighter squadrons and engaged US bomber formations with 13o, 22o, 24o, 59o and the 161o Gruppi. Reference: [1] Angelucci E. and P. Matricardi, "World Aircraft - World War II - Part I", Sampson Low, Bershire House, UK, 1978 [2] Carello, G., "Ali Straniere in Italia - French Aircraft in use with the Regia Aeronautica #5"
Ali Straniere in Italia - French Aircraft in use by the Regia Aeronautica #5
, La Bancarella Aero. Torino 2005
Dewoitine D.520 in Regia Aeronautica Service About 60 D.520s were acquired by the Regia Aeronautica. Italian pilots appreciated the Hispano-Suiza HS.404 20mm canon, important for bomber interception duty, as the RA was low on fighter aircraft equipped with canons. The first three D.520s were assigned to 2° Stormo based at the Torino-Caselle airfield, where they were used for the defence of Torino's industrial area. Other D.520s were captured in Montélimar, Orange, Istres and Aix-en-Provence. At the beginning of 1943, Italian ace Luigi Gorrini ferried D.520s taken as war prizes to Italy to be used for defence: "I have collected several dozen Dewoitines from various French airfields and the Toulouse factory", he recalled later. "At the time, when we were still flying the Macchi C.200, it was a good, if not very good, machine. Compared to the Macchi 200, it was superior only in one point: its armament of the Hispano-Suiza HS 404 20 mm cannon." Italian pilots liked the 20 mm guns, the modern cockpit, the excellent radio set and the easy recovery from a spin but they also complained about the weak undercarriage and the small cannon ammunition-drum; also ammunition was not available in quantities (the HS.404 was not compatible with Breda and Scotti 20 mm guns, so supply depended on France's depots. At the end of February 1943 359a Squadriglia (22° Gruppo), led by Major Vittorio Minguzzi, received eight Dewoitine D.520. At that time, American B-24s were bombing Naples, so an effective interceptor was badly needed, and D.520s were all that were available in early 1943. 359a Squadriglia pilots used Dewoitines with some success. On 1 March 1943, Maggiore Minguzzi claimed a B-24 while flying a D.520. This claim was initially only claimed as a probable but was later upgraded to a confirmed. This was probably the first Italian claim using this aircraft. On 21 May 1943, the Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe agreed to exchange 39 Lioré et Olivier LeO 451s, captured by the Italians at the SNCASE factory in Ambérieu-en-Bugey (Lyon), with a stock of 30 D.520s. Subsequently, in the spring and summer of 1943, the Dewoitines were used by 161° Gruppo Autonomo, based in southern Italy with 163a Squadriglia in Grottaglie, 162a Squadriglia in Crotone and 164a Squadriglia in Reggio Calabria. On 31 July 1943, the Regia Aeronautica still had 47 Dewoitines in service. After the armistice of 8 September 1943, three D.520s, previously in service with 24° Gruppo, were used by the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana of the Italian Social Republic for training.
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This is the old Tamiya Kit 61048 1/48 Dewoitine D.520 which is quiet good, there are no fit problems to report and assembly is quick. The person I bought the kit from sent me decals with the kit: Aeromatser 48301 and interestingly the instructions specify Nocciola Chiaro 4 for the top surfaces. This color suggestion conflicts with some sources [2] that suggest Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1 instead, although there seems to be no evidence (photos or directives) that support the RA (or units in the field) extended lower surface colors to the top surfaces of aircraft, even one-offs. With the decals also come a short write-up about the use of this plane by the RA (see the cutout below). I wanted to make a D.520 with the "Grim Reaper" emlblem, a carry over from its days in French use, and painted just forward of the cockpit. However, I changed my mind with this profile as it appealed to me and the result is interesting and attractive. After assembly, a finishing surfacer coat of Mister Hobby 1500 was applied. The lower surface is MRP Grigio Azzurro, the upper is MRP Sabbia (the VITO Chart colors!). This was oversprayed with MRP semi-mat. I have another Tamiya 1/48 Dewoitine D.520 kit that I will build with the Grim Reaper emblem in RA colors also.
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Aircraft: Dewoitine D.520 Manufacturer: SNCAM Type: Fighter Year: 1940 Engine: Hispano-Suiza 12Y, 12-cylinder V, liquid-cooled, 910 hp Wingspan: 33 ft 5 in (10.18 m) Length: 28 ft 9 in (8.76 m) Height: 8 ft 5 in (2.56 m) Weight: 6,144 lb (2,780 kg) (Loaded) Maximum speed: 329 mph (529 km/h) at 19,685 ft (6,000 m) Ceiling: 6,144 lb (2,780 kg) (Loaded) Range: 620 miles (998 km) Armament: 1 20 mm cannon; 4 machine guns Crew: 1 |
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