Dewoitine D.520

Plane: Dewoitine D.520

Mass: 2675kg

Engine: 930hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y-45

Horsepower:  960hp max brake horsepower

Wing Area: 16.0 meters^2

Weapons:

Ammo Belting:

7.5mm MG: ap, ap, ap, ap, tracer

Hispano Suiza 404: he, he, he, he, tracer

Stall Speed: 135kph clean/123kph dirty

Best Climb Speed IAS: 216kph IAS

Maximum Reasonable AoA: 12.0 degrees

Top Speed Chart:

WEP Top Speed: 460kph

Climb Rate chart:

Roll Rate:

Turn Rate: (sustained) Flaps Up:   220kph, 130m radius, 27 deg/sec

Turn Rate: (sustained) Flaps Down: 200kph, 115m radius, 27 deg/sec

Visibility:  Good, except for behind view, and a rather thick bar directly above. 

Control Feel vs Speed:  Excellent at all speeds

WEP power boost percent: 8%

Safe WEP time: Greater than 10 minutes

General Comments:

The Dewoitine D.520 was the best French-built fighter produced in significant numbers before the fall of France.  As such, it is the only representative of indigenous French aircraft in the French Air Force in WW2OL (the remaining fighters are all imported models).  IMO, except for speed, it is the best of the first-generation fighters in the game.  It has the high-speed maneuverability of the Fw190, turning ability almost as good as the Spitfire Mk I, and a decent machinegun ammunition load. In addition, it has the same cannon in the nose that makes the Spitfire Mk V so deadly.

Incidentally, the 520 part of the D520 name was due to it's original goal of reaching 520kph in level flight. 

The technology found in the D520 was quite advanced, and was used long after France fell during the war.  The 20mm cannon found its way into most of the British fighters later in the war (as well as the American P38), and its engine was licensed and further developed by the Russians who used it in various Russian aircraft.

The key to this plane is to fly it like a slow Focke-Wulf.  Unlike the Fw you can turnfight this aircraft, but be advised that it's turning advantage only applies to sustained turnfights.  Initial turning ability isn't better than the 109s, and the 109F will outturn you in a sustained turnfight if it employs vertical maneuvers.  The goal with the D520 is to get higher than the opposition, then Boom 'n' Zoom them to death.  If you get into trouble, you must use your superior rolling ability to force the opposition to overshoot, or at least not hit you while you drag them somewhere.  Don't expect to run away from trouble in this plane.

This plane is slow, there isn't a Luftwaffe fighter that is significantly slower, even the slow Bf110 flies almost as fast on the deck.  The engine produces the most power between 2-6km and so it is best if you can stay above 2km for your fights.  The good news is that the higher you go, the better off you are, as the Luftwaffe's lower altitude performance advantages become less and less a factor. 

This plane is well suited to a certain style of tactics, and some pilots amass huge kill tallies with this plane, with relatively few losses.  With the recent revision to the plane's aerodynamics, this plane has turned into quite a monster.  The D520 is quite capable of taking on a Bf109E and winning consistently, given equal pilots.

Note that like the British Spitfire MkI and Hurricane MkI, the D520 suffers from negative-g engine cutout.  Keep this in mind when you want to dive, make sure to roll 180 and dive vs pushing over when trying to extend.

Specific Matchup Comments:

D520 vs Bf110C:  With the recent revision of the D520, the 110C is relatively easy meat.  Your superior rolling rate and turning ability should allow you to rack up 110 kills.

D520 vs Bf109E:  This is the most common matchup, because once the Bf109F comes out, the H81 is usually available as well.  You have several disadvantages vs the Bf109E, and two advantages.  The disadvantages are speed and climb, while your advantages are high speed rolling capability and turning ability.  It is best to engage 109s with an altitude advantage, and failing that, get into a turnfight with them. If the 109 turns with you, smile, as you'll soon get on his six.  Keep in mind that your rolling advantage applies to high-speed flight only, once slow, the 109E can roll just as good as you.

D520 vs Bf109F:  The F model made the 109 much more dangerous.  Now the plane has plenty of cannon ammo, climbs faster, flies a whopping 70kph faster on the deck, and turns better than the 109E.  Use anti-109 tactics mentioned above, but be more careful, as the 109F can easily stick his nose in the sky and yoyo you to death.

D520 vs Fw190a4: Be very careful with this plane.  It has a 115kph speed advantage over you on the deck, outclimbs you by a large margin under 3km, and can dive like a brick.  Try to keep your fights above 3km, better yet, try not to fight these beasts at all. However, if you find a 190 down low and slow, smile, as the pilot probably doesn't know what he's doing, and will soon end up as a kill sticker on the side of your plane.

D520 vs Ju87b:  This is included here because many pilots don't know how to handle a Stuka properly.  They think "Oh, it's a bomber, it can't turn" and promptly get shot down as the Ju87b outturns them.  The Ju87b turns better than the D520.  Now before you grab the pitchfork and head down to CRS, there are a few things to point out.  The Ju87b has one of the lowest wing loadings in the game.  It has huge wings, which generate a lot of lift (and a good amount of drag).  It is designed to haul a big airframe, two crewmembers, armor, bombs, and lots of ammo on a relatively low amount of power.  It also has to do this while being draggy as heck.  It accomplishes this by having huge wings (remember how gliders fly with no power?  big wings).  What this means is that this airplane can turn.  Just like a light biplane that has only 100hp, but can turn on a dime, the Ju87b can use its huge wings to turn well.  It *will* outturn you if you flatturn it.  The two biggest problems a Stuka has are speed and climbing ability.  If you go vertical, the Stuka will die.  If you fly fast, the Stuka will die.  If you try to run away, you will get away.  If you try to turn with it for an extended amount of time, it will get a nice canopy shot on you and you will die.  It also flies so slowly that you will easily overshoot it if you are not careful.  Most turnfighters used to beating 109s in turnfights don't know how to handle a better turning plane.  Learn, or you will become very frustrated with the Stuka.