Dewoitine D.520 and family

The Dewoitine D.520 was the best fighter aircraft available to the French Air Force (Armée de l’Air) in 1940. Sadly, it was not available in sufficient numbers to pose a serious threat to the Luftwaffe. It was the first of a series of proposed fighters. The D.521, D.522, D.523 and D.524 each used a different engine, none entered production. The D.551 was a much more advanced aircraft, with a top speed of over 400mph. However, none of the prototypes were complete at the time of the French collapse. Finally, the SE.520z was a version of the fighter developed in Vichy France. It did reach the prototype stage, but only after the German occupation of Vichy, and never took to the air.