The Dewoitine D.551 was an improved version of the Dewoitine D.520 fighter. It was ordered into production in 1939 but none had been completed by the time of the French surrender in June 1940.

The Dewoitine 551 began as the Dewoitine 550 that was built in 1939 for an attempt on the air speed record.

It was a modified version of the Dewotine 520 fighter with a more powerful engine and reduced wingspan and weight.

When it first flew on 23 October 1939 it reached a speed of 676 km/h which was 144 km/h faster than the Dewoitine 520.

A militarized version, the Dewoitine 551, was designed for easy production and 16 prototypes were ordered.

Production commenced quickly but none were completed by the time of the Armistice in June 1940.

None had been flown and they were ordered to be scrapped.

This model represents a prototype Dewoitine 551 in May 1940.

FGMmastermazon 1/72 kit. Completed in May 2020.