In Box Review of LTD Models 1/48th Scale
French Dewoitine D.520 Fighter
Limited Edition Series
Kit no. 9801
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1994
Available in the 2011 release kit no. 61109 that includes a staff car. For $48.00 at Section 8 Hobbies, $49.20 at Mega Hobby and $47.25 at Kit Linx.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1994
Available in the 2011 release kit no. 61109 that includes a staff car. For $48.00 at Section 8 Hobbies, $49.20 at Mega Hobby and $47.25 at Kit Linx.
HISTORY:
The Dewoitine D.520 was a French fighter aircraft that entered service in early 1940, shortly after the beginning of the Second World War.
The D.520 was designed in response to a 1936 requirement from the French Air Force for a fast, modern fighter with a good climbing speed and an armament centred on a 20 mm cannon.
At the time the most powerful V 12 liquid-cooled engine available in France was the Hispano-Suiza 12Y, which was less powerful, but lighter than contemporary engines such as the Rolls-Royce Merlin and Daimler-Benz DB 601.
Other fighters were designed to meet the specifications but none of them entered service, or entered service in small numbers, too late to play a significant role during the Battle of France.
Unlike the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406, which was at that time the most numerous fighter in the French Air Force, the Dewoitine D.520 came close to being a match for the latest German types, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109.
It was slower than the Bf 109E but superior in manoeuvrability. Because of a delayed production cycle, only a small number were available for combat against the Luftwaffe.
The D.520 proved to be relatively capable as a dogfighter against the Luftwaffe's inventory, but lacked sufficient numbers to make a difference.
Following the armistice, the D.520 continued to be used, being operated by both the Free French Air Force and the Vichy French Air Force.
The type was also returned to production during 1942, although it was manufactured at a lower rate than it had been during 1940. Additional examples were operated by the Luftwaffe, Regia Aeronautica, and the Bulgarian Air Force.
The D.520 saw combat service in North Africa, Bulgaria, and the Eastern Front, as well as use in France and Germany for training and defense purposes. During the type's later life, it was used as a trainer aircraft. On 3 September 1953, the last D.520s were finally withdrawn from service.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer: SNCAM / SNCASE
First flight: 2 October 1938
Introduction to service: January 1940
Retired: 1953
Primary users: French Air Force, Luftwaffe, Italian Regia Aeronautica, Bulgarian Air Force
Number built: about 900
The Dewoitine D.520 was a French fighter aircraft that entered service in early 1940, shortly after the beginning of the Second World War.
The D.520 was designed in response to a 1936 requirement from the French Air Force for a fast, modern fighter with a good climbing speed and an armament centred on a 20 mm cannon.
At the time the most powerful V 12 liquid-cooled engine available in France was the Hispano-Suiza 12Y, which was less powerful, but lighter than contemporary engines such as the Rolls-Royce Merlin and Daimler-Benz DB 601.
Other fighters were designed to meet the specifications but none of them entered service, or entered service in small numbers, too late to play a significant role during the Battle of France.
Unlike the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406, which was at that time the most numerous fighter in the French Air Force, the Dewoitine D.520 came close to being a match for the latest German types, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109.
It was slower than the Bf 109E but superior in manoeuvrability. Because of a delayed production cycle, only a small number were available for combat against the Luftwaffe.
The D.520 proved to be relatively capable as a dogfighter against the Luftwaffe's inventory, but lacked sufficient numbers to make a difference.
Following the armistice, the D.520 continued to be used, being operated by both the Free French Air Force and the Vichy French Air Force.
The type was also returned to production during 1942, although it was manufactured at a lower rate than it had been during 1940. Additional examples were operated by the Luftwaffe, Regia Aeronautica, and the Bulgarian Air Force.
The D.520 saw combat service in North Africa, Bulgaria, and the Eastern Front, as well as use in France and Germany for training and defense purposes. During the type's later life, it was used as a trainer aircraft. On 3 September 1953, the last D.520s were finally withdrawn from service.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer: SNCAM / SNCASE
First flight: 2 October 1938
Introduction to service: January 1940
Retired: 1953
Primary users: French Air Force, Luftwaffe, Italian Regia Aeronautica, Bulgarian Air Force
Number built: about 900
THE KIT:
LTD Models was a company based in Carrollton, TX, that made limited run aircraft kits. They went out of business,. Their kits were molded in the Czech Republic and packaged in the U.S.A.
This kit came in a end-opening type box, held shut with scotch tape. I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts or the decal sheet find their way past one of the end flaps to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box art shows a D.520 shooting down a German FW-190 above the clouds.
The D.520 is in a camouflage of dark-earth, dark-blue-green and green over a light-blue-grey under surfaces. It carries the insignia of GC III/6, 1st ESC on the fin, which is black devil's face. It has a white number 6 outlined in black on the fuselage after the cockpit. It has a white spinner and standard French rudder stripes of blue, white and red vertical bars. The white number 6 is also in white on the starboard upper wing surface.
The German Fw-190 in a splinter of 2 greys over light-blue under surfaces and has a black number 5 fuselage number.
One side panel of the box has a color box art of a 1/48th scale Soviet Yak-9 kit that LTD manufactures. It shows the Yak-9 shooting down a German Stuka. It is overall green with Soviet red stars in the normal positions. The Stuka is dark in color and shows no markings.
This is followed by the history of the Yak-9.
LTD Models was a company based in Carrollton, TX, that made limited run aircraft kits. They went out of business,. Their kits were molded in the Czech Republic and packaged in the U.S.A.
This kit came in a end-opening type box, held shut with scotch tape. I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts or the decal sheet find their way past one of the end flaps to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box art shows a D.520 shooting down a German FW-190 above the clouds.
The D.520 is in a camouflage of dark-earth, dark-blue-green and green over a light-blue-grey under surfaces. It carries the insignia of GC III/6, 1st ESC on the fin, which is black devil's face. It has a white number 6 outlined in black on the fuselage after the cockpit. It has a white spinner and standard French rudder stripes of blue, white and red vertical bars. The white number 6 is also in white on the starboard upper wing surface.
The German Fw-190 in a splinter of 2 greys over light-blue under surfaces and has a black number 5 fuselage number.
One side panel of the box has a color box art of a 1/48th scale Soviet Yak-9 kit that LTD manufactures. It shows the Yak-9 shooting down a German Stuka. It is overall green with Soviet red stars in the normal positions. The Stuka is dark in color and shows no markings.
This is followed by the history of the Yak-9.
The other side panel has a small color repeat of the box art, followed by the history of the D.520, over saying it is a detailed scale model for adult collectors. Not suitable for children under 14 years, and LTD's street address in Carrollton, TX.
The bottom of the box has painting and marking instructions for 3 schemes:
1. The box art scheme (already described above as a side, top and bottom of wings view.
2. A D.520 of the 1st Battalion, 6th Air Regiment, Bulgarian Air Force. Camouflaged in German colors.
Undersides and lower fuselage in RLM 76 (light-blue), mottle colors are RLM 02 (grey), and RLM 74(grey-green) and RLM 75 (grey-violet). Upper surfaces in a splinter of RLM 74 & 75. Undersides of wingtips and spinner in yellow. Rudder is green over red. Bulgarian Air Force insignia on fuselage sides and wings is a white square with a black X on it, as a side and top view.
3. A D.520, number 5, flown by Groupe Doret (FF) in southern France during October of 1944. Aircraft has three white and two black stripes around the rear fuselage with letters FFI carried on the white stripes in black. A black number 5 on a white circle on the rudder and French tri-color vertical bars of blue, white and red on the rudder flap. It is in the same camouflage colors as the Bulgarian aircraft.
2. A D.520 of the 1st Battalion, 6th Air Regiment, Bulgarian Air Force. Camouflaged in German colors.
Undersides and lower fuselage in RLM 76 (light-blue), mottle colors are RLM 02 (grey), and RLM 74(grey-green) and RLM 75 (grey-violet). Upper surfaces in a splinter of RLM 74 & 75. Undersides of wingtips and spinner in yellow. Rudder is green over red. Bulgarian Air Force insignia on fuselage sides and wings is a white square with a black X on it, as a side and top view.
3. A D.520, number 5, flown by Groupe Doret (FF) in southern France during October of 1944. Aircraft has three white and two black stripes around the rear fuselage with letters FFI carried on the white stripes in black. A black number 5 on a white circle on the rudder and French tri-color vertical bars of blue, white and red on the rudder flap. It is in the same camouflage colors as the Bulgarian aircraft.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 3 pale-grey trees in a sealed clear cello bag with 2 decal sheets. Attached to the side of this cello bag is a smaller cello bag with 2 vacuformed sheets with the cockpit windows molded into them.
The instructions consists of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up in the box art scheme next to an explanation about LTD's kits, over the history of the D.520.
Page 2 begins with international assembly symbol explanations over the first 3 assembly steps.
Page 3 shows the 4th and last assembly step over a description of SCALE COLOR.
Page 4 is painting and marking instructions for the box art scheme (already described above) as a 3-view.
Page 5 is painting and marking instructions for the Bulgarian scheme (also described above) as a 3-view.
Page 6 is painting and marking instructions for the D.520 with Groupe Doret (also described above) as a 3-view.
There are no tree numbers or letters.
The kit contains 3 pale-grey trees in a sealed clear cello bag with 2 decal sheets. Attached to the side of this cello bag is a smaller cello bag with 2 vacuformed sheets with the cockpit windows molded into them.
The instructions consists of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up in the box art scheme next to an explanation about LTD's kits, over the history of the D.520.
Page 2 begins with international assembly symbol explanations over the first 3 assembly steps.
Page 3 shows the 4th and last assembly step over a description of SCALE COLOR.
Page 4 is painting and marking instructions for the box art scheme (already described above) as a 3-view.
Page 5 is painting and marking instructions for the Bulgarian scheme (also described above) as a 3-view.
Page 6 is painting and marking instructions for the D.520 with Groupe Doret (also described above) as a 3-view.
There are no tree numbers or letters.
The first tree contains the fuselage, propeller, wheel doors, exhaust,etc.
The second tree has the upper and lower wings, Cockpit and horizontal stabilizers.
The third tree contains the wheels and landing gear.
The vacuformed canopy is in a sealed bag to protect it from scratches.
The 2 decal sheets completes the kit
I have purchased the Hawkeye Designs brand 1/48th scale resin kit no. 302 that is cockpit details for the D.520 and it is added to this kit.
There is no pilot figure included in the kit. Detail is all engraved type. All flaps are molded solid.
This is a neat multi-media type kit.
This is a neat multi-media type kit.
Recommended.