World War II AircraftThe Dewoitine D.520 was 'a strange aeroplane which looked beautifully but didn't fly beautifully'; according to test-pilot Eric 'Winkle' Brown; who also called it 'a nasty little brute'. In addition to a vicious snap-stall; its four wing-mounted MAC 1934 M39 7.5 mm machine guns tended to jam during any kind of high-G manoeuvre - but the 20 mm cannon firing through the propeller hub was effective; it was the most modern home-produced fighter aircraft available to the French in 1940; and it went on to eventually serve with both Vichy and Free French forces (and as an advanced trainer with the Luftwaffe) as the fortunes of war shifted. Powered by the 950 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y liquid-cooled V-12 engine; it had a top level speed of about 320 mph. Control was better at high speed and the maximum dive speed when tested proved to be 520 mph with excellent stability in the dive; and the aircraft proved to be a steady gun platform. Production ceased following the Armistice in 1940 but was restarted in Vichy France in April 1941; although production was slow due to a reluctant workforce. Total output of the D.520 from all sources amounted to 905 machinesIllustration (Tim Brown); 2019.