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• Aircraft Resource Center • 2009-03-24
• www.aerostories.org • 2009-03-24
• IPMSUSA.org • 2009-03-24
• Hyperscale.com • 2009-03-24
• Internet Modeler • 2009-03-24
• Modeling Madness • 2009-03-24
• CyberModeler.com • 2009-03-24

• Aircraft Resource Center • 2009-03-24
  Review by Steve Bamford on Apr 21 2006 This 104 page softcover book from Mushroom Model Magazine is specifically focused on the Dewoitine D.520 in a way that will be appreciated by all scale modellers. France had the misfortune of being one of the earlier countries to be invaded by Germany in WW2 and this meant that most French aircraft didn't see too much action after the fall of France. But the French aircraft industry did enter WW2 with it's own versions of the modern fighter aircraft and the most elegant French fighter was the Dewoitine D.520. Sadly this aircraft wasn't available in sufficient numbers and newly introduced with pilots that weren't fully trained, it was unable to turn back the German invasion. After the invasion the Dewoitine D.520 attracted the attention of the Luftwaffe and it was put back into production and served as a trainer and with the Italian and Bulgarian airforces as well as being the primary fighter of the Vichy air arm. After the liberation of France the Dewoitine D.520 was available in sufficient number to re-equip some French units fighting on the Allied side and continued to serve in the post-war French air Force as a trainer until 1953. This book is well organized and covers the evolution of the development (including prototypes and projects and even a floatplane version) and the combat use of the Dewoitine D.520. On June 5 1940 Luftwaffe Ace Hptm. Werner Molders, which should help to demonstrate the abilities of this French aircraft. The book then goes on to technical data to briefly acquaint the reader with the mechanicals of the aircraft. Next the book moves onto the 40 page walkaround section and finally finishes up with 23 pages of colour profiles.....including a number in foreign service. There are also 1/72 scale plans included. As for images you get: 46 black and white photos, 89 colour photos, 20 line drawings, 23 black and white 3D drawings (including wing and rudder ribbing, main landing gear and bay as well as factory plan/drawings of other areas and more) 45 sideview colour profiles and 4 views of the top and/or bottom of these profiles. The photos and images are clearly printed on glossy paper with good light and easy to make out details in the photos. Modellers will be pleased to find side view profiles, technical data that explains the different production series of this aircraft as well as detail walkaround photos covering the general aircraft, engine, prop, fuselage, wing, canopy, tail and undercarriage. This book covers this aircraft well and has most of the details modellers need to get the details correct. I would have preferred a few more cockpit photos to compliment the few colour cockpit photos in this book. The colour engine photos were a special treat, but I tend to have a fascination with the mechanical side of all machines. I was pleased with the extensive walkaround photos of this aircraft. prototypes...check out the flaotplane historic photos photos of museum aircraft colour walkaround photos engine photos landing gear photos .................and so much more....including...... 45 Colour Profiles The Dewoitine D.520 is an often overlooked aircraft and it's a breath of fresh to see a book covering this aircraft. I am quite pleased to add this book to my library.....it will prove to be a very helpful book when the time I tackle a Dewoitine D.520 model.
• www.aerostories.org • 2009-03-24
  Frédéric Marsaly Prolifique éditeur anglo-polonais, Mushroom Model Publications propose une nouvelle monographie consacrée à la "star" de l’aviation française de 1940, le Dewoitine D.520. Monographie plutôt orientée technique, on y retrouve les éléments essentiels pour bien connaître l’avion et surtout une documentation importante pour en faire une maquette fidèle car le lectorat visé est bien un lectorat maquettiste. On retrouve les éléments classiques des documents de ce type : une introduction historique succincte qui couvre rapidement la naissance et l’évolution de l’avion, son utilisation opérationnelle en France, en Allemagne, en Bulgarie et en Italie. L’essentiel du livre est consacré à une description de l’appareil, à base de documents d’archives, d’extraits des manuels de l’époque et de photoscopes des avions conservés au Musée de l’Air au Bourget et au CAEA à Bordeaux. L’iconographie est importante, équilibrée entre les photos d’époque en NB et les clichés récents en couleur et comporte quelques images rares. Une importante section de profils couleurs, environ une cinquantaine, vient clore ce document. Tout au plus regrettera-t-on quelques fautes d’orthographe dans certains noms propres français. Sans être révolutionnaire, cette monographie possède quelques atouts dont son prix, très abordable.
• IPMSUSA.org • 2009-03-24
  Reviewed By Floyd S. Werner, Jr., #26266 The Dewoitine D.520 was the only fighter the French had that was comparable to the Bf-109 during the early part of World War II. It was, in my opinion, one of the finest looking aircraft the French designed. Unfortunately for the French, it was not available in sufficient numbers to have any impact on the outcome of the battle. With the occupation, the Germans evaluated many D.520s and found it to be an excellent aircraft. The Germans used them as trainers, even ordering new ones from the factory. Italy and Bulgaria used them as front line fighters until the end of the war. Also used by the Vichy French right up to the liberation of France, the D.520 was the premier French fighter of the war. Soldiering on until 1953 as a trainer with the French Air Force, the Dewoitine was an excellent design. The latest Mushroom Model Publications book on this famous fighter features wartime and restoration photos of surviving airframes. Plans are included in 1/72nd for all the versions including the planned but un-built versions. The best part for me were the 44 color plates. These profiles alone can provide inspiration for any modeler. The photos are top quality, especially the restoration photos. The photos are clear enough to allow the modeler to detail all the visible detail. With the technical manual photos that are included, the modeler could build a highly detailed model. Over half the book is in full color consisting of the restoration photos and color profiles. This is one of, if not the best, English references covering the D.520. I highly recommend this book to anyone. Now where is my Tamiya kit?
• Hyperscale.com • 2009-03-24
  Reviewed by Steven "Modeldad" Eisenman One thing I have come to realize about the Mushroom Model Magazine (MMM) Specials is how uneven they are. This recent issue from MM on the D 520 is perhaps one of the weaker ones. As is usually the case with the other Yellow Series books from MMM, this volume is comprised of three distinct parts. First there is the development and combat use of the aircraft. The second part is a walk around of a restored aircraft supplemented by pictures from the original aircraft manual. The third part is made up of a number of colorful profiles. While this volume begins with some interesting notes and drawings of the various developmental aircraft in the D 520 series, it quickly falls off in the operational use section. In his discussion of the combat history of the D 520, the author make a most interesting statement: “The D 520 … was virtually an equal opponent to the Messerschmitt Bf 109E”. But rather than following up on this comparison, the author uses the majority of this section to relate the experience of one pilot having a two hour lunch and watching a D 520 take on a hapless Fiat Cr. 42. The other discussions of the service of the D 520 with the Vichy French, German, Bulgarians and Italians are most brief indeed. A goodly part of this volume is taken up with a walk around of a pair of fully restored D. 520s, one of which is in flying condition. But unlike previous volumes in the Yellow series, the author provides no information on either of these aircraft. Restored aircraft usually have their own particular history, both in terms of their service and the process of restoration. The walk around section also has the drawings from the original aircraft manual. But one opportunity that was missed, was pointing out the unique “lantern” gun sight that was used in the D 520. While there is picture and a drawing that includes the gun sight, unless you know what you are looking at, it appears as merely a strange object atop the instrument panel. Finally there are beautifully colored profiles of 44 different aircraft. The profiles include D 520s in French, German, Bulgarian and Italian service. One of them is most interesting and is a hypothetical drawing. After France’s surrender and the armistice, it seems that the Italian Armistice Commission wanted to impose its own aircraft recognition markings on French aircraft. What those marking may have looked like is shown in that profile. However, a couple of profiles appear to be incorrect, which always causes me to question the others. The last profile in the book is of a D 520 in the markings of the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (ANR), the air force of the Italian Fascists established in the north of Italy after the Armistice with the Allies in September 1943. According to one of the authors of the recently published “Camouflage and Markings of the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana”, no D 520 were in ANR service. The other profile is of the D 520 of Reserve Captain Cliguet (Cliquet) of the “Group Doret”. Although minor, the profile fails to show the Lorraine Cross painted over the wing roundel. There is a picture of this very aircraft in one of the sources cited in the bibliography. For a modeler or aircraft enthusiast who wants a basic overview of the Dewoitine D 520, this volume in MMM’s Yellow series may be of some interest, and I recommend it to those individuals. For a more serious enthusiast, this volume will probably fall a bit short.
• Internet Modeler • 2009-03-24
  Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl The newest title in Mushroom's Yellow Series takes a look at the famous French fighter, the Dewoitine D 520. One of the most advanced French fighter designs at the beginning of the war, the D 520 was one of those cases of too little, too late. Although over two hundred of the type had been built by the time of Germany's offensive, only 75 were in combat units. Although the D 520 could match the performance of the Bf 109E, the numbers were on the German side and the type suffered heavy attrition. Vichy France continued production of the type, with hopes of 550 aircraft to be built by mid-1943 to replace the less effective MS 406, Bloch 152, and Hawk 75 fighters. These numbers were not realized, though, by the time Germany entered southern France. The D 520 did not die out there, though, as production resumed once again, this time under the control of German authorities, mainly to overhaul existing airframes. By the end of the war, over 750 D 520s had been built. As we come to expect from Mushroom Model Publications, this book provides a brief history of the Dewoitine, from its development, through production, and into combat. The first section of the book details the various prototypes and project aircraft, with scale drawings done in 1/72. Some of these projects offer some interesting potential for the modeler, such as the floatplane fighter. Following this comes the combat record, and here is some fascinating reading. This plane fought in some interesting battles, and with some unexpected air forces, such as Italy and Bulgaria. A large part of this book, though, is the photo section, specifically the walkaround photos. These are of two aircraft, one being the example at Le Bourget and the other the restored flying example, which interestingly is not identified as where it is based in the text. These detail photos (and associated technical manual drawings) are of great use, as many are of the restoration process, which shows parts of the aircraft that would not normally be accessible with a normal museum aircraft. Rounding out the book is the color profile section, with the usual high quality color profiles that we come to expect from Mushroom. This is an excellent reference on a little-known French fighter, and I hope that we will see more titles along this vein. Seeing that Mushroom is planning to release a book on the Bristol Bulldog and Gloster Gauntlet, I can see that they do intend to continue to bring light on these lesser known aircraft types.
• Modeling Madness • 2009-03-24
  by Scott Van Aken The latest release from Mushroom Models Publications is this volume on the Dewoitine D.520, France's best fighter of WWII. In line with the rest of the series it is divided into three major sections. The first section is a history of the aircraft that includes drawings of all the different development aircraft and were this plane to have had a more normal operational history, I'm sure there would have been a number of variants as well. This section includes a brief combat history as well as its operational history with the Luftwaffe, Bulgaria and Italy. Next is the walk-around section. There are two extant D.520s, one with the French national aviation museum and the other brought back to flying status and seen from time to time at various events in Europe. This includes not only images of these aircraft, but also drawings from period technical manuals. The final section is the one that always inspires me. This is the section with profiles and three-views. I was particularly impressed with the proposed Vichy markings that were never used. They would have made for a most interesting aircraft and perhaps some enterprising decal maker will provide these for us. Overall, I'd have to say that this continues the level of excellence that Mushroom Models Publications have been providing with this series. If you are an enthusiast of the type or a modeler who wants an excellent reference, then this is the book for you.
• CyberModeler.com • 2009-03-24
  By Ray Mehlberger Mushroom Model Publications began with a magazine that is devoted to aircraft modelers. Later, they branched out into individual books on particular aircraft. These books are printed in Poland (I am told to save money) and are all in English. The books are in 6 ½” x 9 ½” soft-cover format and about a ¼ of a inch thick. This latest book, on the French Dewoitine D-520 fighter, is 104 pages in length. It contains 50 black and white wartime photos, 88 color photos of D-520’s that have been restored (most of which are walk around…detail shots), 13 line drawing profiles in 1/72 nd scale (3 of which are 2-views and one is of a D-520 on floats), 27 illustrations out of a tech manual and 44 color profiles. Three of the color profiles are 3-views and one is a 2-view. Colors schemes are given for 14 aircraft in French markings, before the surrender to Germany. There are 10 schemes for Vichy French marked aircraft (including a proposed marking that was never put into use). Four markings are given for Free French aircraft. Six schemes are for aircraft in German markings. Four schemes are for aircraft used by Bulgaria and five aircraft used by Italy. These are some great alternate markings that modelers could possibly put on their D-520’s The book covers the technical and operational history of what was the best French fighter of WWII. The D-520 was an elegant aircraft. It was never in sufficient numbers, and it was thrown into battle before its pilots could be fully trained on the type. The D-520 was unable to turn the tide against the German invaders in 1940. After the armistice, the quality of the aircraft attracted the attention of the Luftwaffe, who put it back into production and used it as a trainer, and also supplied the Italian and Bulgarian Air Forces with some. It was also the premier fighter of the Vichy French air arm. After the liberation of France, the D-520 was available in sufficient numbers to re-equip some French units fighting on the Allied side, and indeed served with the post-war French Air Force as a trainer until as late as 1953. This is essential reading for aircraft modelers and armchair WWII aviation enthusiasts.