Doing its very first journey on 2 October 1938, the Dewoitine D.520 finished up being a fashionable and nimble monoplane with refined aerodynamics and outstanding shows. It had been driven by an in line 12 cylinder Hispano Suiza 12Y45 motor yielding 935hp and allowing a high degree speed of 534km/h. Its armament comprised one 20mm HS404 gun shooting through propeller hub and two 7.5mm machine tools in each wing. The original manufacturing aircraft made its maiden journey on 31 October 1939. Only 200 from 437 aircraft produced in front of the 25 June 1940 armistice could really participate to the aerial flights related to French Campaign. Their pilots promoted 108 official aerial victories and 39 probables. Had the Armee de l'Air possessed a few more squadrons of this superb fighter, the fate with this Luftwaffe within the skies of France could have been different.
After the fall of France, the D.520 wound up being usage extensively by the Vichy Air Force as well as Free French devices. Good sized quantities were used as advanced level trainers by the Luftwaffe.
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