The Dewoitine D.520 was perhaps the best French fighter during the Battle of France. After the Armistice with Germany was signed in June 1940 a large number served with the French Vichy and other Axis Air Forces.

Dewoitine began designing a fighter to meet the French Air force request for a new fighter in 1937.

The first Dewoitine 520 flew on 2 October 1938 and the first production machine flew in November 1939.

At the end of the Battle of France 437 had been constructed and eventually 905 were made.

Many then served with Axis forces including the French Vichy air force.

After the Vichy air force was disbanded and following the Allied invasion of France in 1944 many Dewotine 520s were flown by Free French forces, including a group led by Marcel Doret that operated in the south of France attacking German ground forces.

This model represents a Free French Dewoitine 520 flying with Groupe Doret at Toulouse-Blagnac in October 1944.

RS Models 1/72 kit with Berna decals completed by Leigh Edmonds in November 2020.