Dewoitine D.520

Vital Stats

Manufacturer: Tamiya
Scale: 1:48
Aircraft: Dewoitine D.520
Markings: Escadrille AC1 | French Aeronautique Navale | Tafaraoui | Algeria | 1941
Aftermarket: Eduard French Seatbelts | Quickboost exhausts | Berna decals

Mini-Review

French aircraft are even more overlooked than Soviet or Italian aircraft, if that’s possible. That alone makes this Tamiya kit something special. In fact, so far as I know, it’s the only “good” kit of a French World War II-era aircraft in 1/48 scale out there. The subject matter and awesome French camoflage schemes alone make it worth the purchase, especially if you can find one at a vendor table or buried in a consignment section somewhere.

Detail – 4

Detail overall is quite good. The D.520 is, after all, a Tamiya kit of 90s vintage. As such, it’s not a gobsmacker the way their P-47s or their Il-2 might be, but it can certainly hold its own. Of course, as with most of Tamiya’s range at that time, there are one or two weaknesses. In the Dewoitine’s case, the landing gear is all around boring and poorly defined, from the tires and struts to the doors, bays and tailwheel.

Engineering – 5

The engineering is a bit basic, but so is the kit.

Fit – 5

This kit falls together. You really can’t do better unless you buy a more recent Tamiya aircraft.

Instructions – 4

The instructions are pretty well done overall…again this is a pretty simple kit from a build-up and parts-count perspective, but some greater detail into painting callouts would have been nice in some areas.

Markings – 3

Typical Tamiya markings – they look fantastic on the sheet and perform about as you would expect when you go to use them. I opted for a decal sheet from Berna Decals instead, and was quite happy.

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