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French Air Force · Inline Fighter · Battle of France · Vichy · Free French

Dewoitine D.520

D.520 · Armée de l’Air, Vichy, Free French, Bulgarian and captured routes · 1940–1945
Armée de l’Air route with operator, campaign and markings context

The Dewoitine D.520 was France’s most capable indigenous fighter of 1940: modern, elegant and competitive, but too few and too late to change the Battle of France. It later served with Vichy units, Free French forces, Bulgaria, Italy and captured operators. For modellers it means slim inline-engine lines, tricolour rudder stripes, French roundels, disruptive brown/green/grey camouflage, yellow/red Vichy theatre markings, restrained 1940 wear and careful operator-specific markings.

1
Pilot
12Y
Inline engine
20 mm
Cannon
1940
France route

What paints do I need?

Generate a practical starter paint list for this Dewoitine D.520 build, with common brand equivalents.

Scheme basis: French Armée de l’Air. Treat these as modelling equivalents rather than laboratory-perfect matches; always check your chosen aircraft, theatre and date.
ColourUseTamiyaVallejoAKMr Hobby
French Khaki / VertUpper camouflage greenXF-49 / XF-58 mix71.016 mixAK French green routeH80 mix
Brun / TerreUpper camouflage brownXF-52 / XF-64 mix71.029AK French brown routeH72 mix
Gris Bleu FoncéUpper blue-greyXF-18 / XF-24 mix71.109 mixAK French blue-greyH42 mix
Gris Bleu ClairUnderside light blue-greyXF-23 / XF-2 mix71.046 mixAK French underside greyH314 mix
Interior blue-greyCockpit and interiorXF-23 / XF-53 mix71.109 mixAK interior blue-greyH56 mix
AluminiumChipping and metal detailsLP-1177.701AK Xtreme Metal AluminiumSM201
Exhaust/rubber/weatheringExhaust, tyres and grimeXF-1/XF-64/XF-85Black/Brown/RubberAK weathering coloursH12/H47

D.520 operations · 1940–1945

The D.520 entered combat during the Battle of France as a genuinely modern French fighter, armed with a 20 mm cannon firing through the propeller hub and four wing machine guns. It then had a complicated post-armistice career with Vichy France, Free French units, Bulgaria, Italy and captured evaluation routes. A good D.520 build starts with the operator and date: Battle of France, Vichy Syria/North Africa, Free French, Bulgarian service or museum/reference aircraft.

1Pilot
12YInline
20 mmCannon
FRFrench fighter
Dewoitine D.520 real reference
Real D.520 photo route: check operator, rudder stripes, roundels, Vichy bands, camouflage demarcation, spinner, cannon port and weathering before paint.

Role & strengths

  • French single-seat fighter with Hispano-Suiza inline engine
  • Battle of France, Vichy, Free French, Bulgarian, Italian and captured routes
  • Hub-firing 20 mm cannon, wing guns, slim fuselage and tricolour rudder markings
  • French brown/green/grey disruptive camouflage, light blue-grey undersides and Vichy theatre markings
  • Restrained 1940 wear, dust, exhaust staining, panel fading and operator-specific repaint/weathering

Key theatres

  • Battle of France / Groupe de Chasse route
  • Vichy Syria and North Africa route
  • Free French and captured/operator routes
  • Bulgarian and Italian service options

Specification D.520

Crew1Length28 ft 4 inWingspan33 ft 5 inMax speedc.329 mphPowerplant1× Hispano-Suiza 12Y inline engineArmament1× 20 mm cannon plus 4× wing machine guns

Survivor/reference today

Dewoitine D.520 survivor/reference image

D.520 survivors and restorations are useful for cockpit, radiator, landing gear, spinner and panel layout, but always verify wartime colours and markings separately.

View references

Timeline highlights

Build this D.520 as…

Pick the operator first. Battle of France, Vichy, Free French, Bulgarian and captured routes all need different markings and weathering.

Aircraft identity

FRFrance
●Roundels
20Cannon
12YInline
VVichy
GCGroupes
Marking warning

D.520 markings changed dramatically by operator. Do not mix Battle of France roundels with Vichy red/yellow theatre bands or Bulgarian markings.

Camouflage warning

French camouflage has soft disruptive shapes and specific underside tones. Avoid generic Allied or captured colours.

Paint scheme cards

1940French brown/green/grey

Battle of France route with tricolour rudder and French roundels.

VichyRed/yellow theatre bands

Vichy route with highly visible theatre bands and aircraft-specific markings.

Allied/AxisFree French / Bulgarian / captured

Operator-specific route where markings drive the whole build.

CombatExhaust, dust and panel fade

Weather exhausts, radiator, wing roots, tyres and underside grime separately.

Campaign cards

Battle of France

Classic 1940 route with French camouflage, tricolour rudder and GC markings.

Vichy

Syria/North Africa route with red/yellow markings and different weathering context.

Free French

Later Allied route with specific aircraft/operator marking checks.

Export/captured

Bulgarian, Italian and captured routes with non-standard markings.

Build difficulty and related guides

Overall difficulty

Medium. Clean fighter shape, but camouflage and markings need accuracy.

Marking difficulty

High. Operator/date matters more than usual on the D.520.

Weathering difficulty

Medium. Restraint is better than heavy chipping for most 1940 subjects.

Paint codesFrench brown, green, grey, blue-grey undersides and Vichy bandsTechniqueFrench disruptive camouflage, exhaust, radiator grime and restrained wearArticleDewoitine D.520 kits, markings and weathering guide

Dewoitine D.520 units and operators

Sortable D.520 cards covering Battle of France, Vichy, Free French, Bulgarian/Axis, captured and survivor/reference routes.

Route:Sort:

D.520 operating map

Variant selector

Airfield info

Click a marker to show linked D.520 unit cards and modelling notes.

Campaign timeline

Survivors

Books and reference sources

D.520 build guide

Kit choice wizard

D.520 videos, photos and archive material

Media replaces the old separate walkaround tab: cockpit, exhaust, undercarriage, markings, survivor references, archive imagery and video cards are grouped here.