Renard R.36 / R.37 / R.38

The Renard R.36 was a Belgian all-metal fighter aircraft designed by Alfred Renard to replace the Fairey Firefly IIM within the Belgian Air Force.

Designed to improve on the Renard Epervier, which was never adopted by the Belgian government, the prototype R.36 first flew on 5 November 1937.

Following testing the R.36 was selected by the Belgian Air Force in late 1938, with 40 aircraft provisionally ordered, to be delivered in two years.

However, on 17 January 1939 the prototype, OO-ARW, crashed near Nivelles, killing pilot Lt. Viscount Eric de Spoelberch.

The official investigation was inconclusive, no evidence of material failure being discovered, with the most probable causes being radio equipment coming loose during a high-G manoeuvre, jamming the controls, or the pilot becoming incapacitated.

The airframe had accumulated 75:30 hours’ flight time.

The order was then dropped in favour of licence production of the Hawker Hurricane by SABCA.

Variants

R.36

Single-seat fighter powered by a 680 kW (910 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs engine, one built.

Planned armament was 4 × 7.7 mm FN Browning machine guns and 1 × 20 mm autocannon.

R.37

Planned armament was 4 × 7.7 mm FN Browning machine guns and 2 × 13.2 mm FN Browning shell firing guns.

R.38

Derivative of R.36 aircraft powered by a 770 kW (1,030 hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin II.

One built, which was first flown on 4 August 1939 reaching a speed of 326 mph (525 km/h) during testing.

Prototype evacuated to France but captured by German forces and scrapped.

Planned armament was 4 × 7.7 mm FN Browning machine guns and 2 × 13.2 mm FN Browning shell firing guns.

R.40

Former unfinished R.36 aircraft completed with a Merlin engine following French interest, not finished and components captured by German forces.

R.42

Twin fuselage variant of the R.38, similar to the F-82 Twin Mustang.

Proposed armament was four 13.2 mm FN Browning shell firing guns

Or

Four 20 mm autocannons.

This did not pass past the design stage.

Specifications

Crew

1

Length

8.8 m (28 ft 10 in)

Wingspan

11.64 m (38 ft 2 in)

Height

2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)

Wing area

20 m² (220 sq ft)

Empty weight

1,770 kg (3,902 lb)

Gross weight

2,470 kg (5,445 lb)

Powerplant

1 × Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs,

V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine,

680 kW (910 hp)

Propellers

3-bladed variable-pitch propeller

Performance

Maximum speed

505 km/h (314 mph, 273 kn) at 3,000 m (9,843 ft)

Range

1,000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi)

Time to altitude

4,000 m (13,123 ft) in 4 minutes 56 seconds

Armament

Guns

1 × engine mounted 20 mm (0.787 in) cannon,

4 × wing-mounted 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine guns