It had a surprisingly good performance of 560 km/h (348 mph), and was ordered into production with a contract for 220 aircraft in September, later raised to 1,000.

[1] The last in the series was the VG-39, originally powered by the new 882 kW (1,200 hp) 12Y-89 using an extension shaft on the propeller to streamline the nose profile, giving the plane an excellent speed of 625 km/h (388 mph) even when loaded down with two more machine guns.

[1] The actual production version was to have been the VG-39bis, powered by the new 1177 kW (1,600 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Z-17, using the streamlined radiator intake design from the VG-36.

[1] Only two machines ever flew in an active unit – GC 1/55 which commenced operations under chaotic conditions, four days before the armistice.

[citation needed] Although the VG-33 used an older, less powerful version of the Dewoitine D.520's engine, the VG-33 prototypes could climb faster than the D.520, and their respective top speeds were comparable.

As was also the case with the D.520, the limitations of the supercharger used meant that the VG-33 could not match the speed of the Bf 109 above 5,000 m.[citation needed] The Germans captured four VG-33s,[3] and one of them was tested by the Luftwaffe at Rechlin in late 1940.