The Republic XP-72 was based upon the P-47 airframe and was designed by Alexander Kartveli’s fighter team as a ‘Super Thunderbolt’ around the 3,000-hp / 2237kW Pratt & Whitney R-4360-13 Wasp Major radial engine. The powerplant was the most powerful piston engine to reach production in any country during World War II.
Intended primarily to be faster than the Thunderbolt, the XP-72 was viewed in part as a remedy for the Third Reich’s high-speed V-l buzz bomb. The USAAF planned to use the fighter to intercept buzz bombs, with a maximum speed of 490mph and an initial climb rate of 3,100ft/min the XP-72 could reach 6000m / 20,000 ft in just under five minutes. Operational P-72s would have been armed with six .50-calibre (12.7-mm) guns.
The first of two examples flew at Farmingdale on 2 February 1944 using a large four-bladed propeller. The second XP-72 flew in July 1944 with the intended Aeroproducts six-bladed contra-rotating propeller. The second aircraft, however, was lost on an early flight.
With priority shifted to long-range escort fighters, this promising interceptor was not needed. Even with a range of 1,200 miles, the XP-72 failed to get a production order. The other XP-72 airframe is thought to have been scrapped at Wright Field around VJ-Day.
Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-4360-13 Wasp Major, 3,000-hp Max take-off weight: 6690 kg / 14749 lb Empty weight: 4973 kg / 10964 lb Wingspan: 12.49 m / 41 ft 0 in Length: 11.17 m / 37 ft 8 in Height: 4.42 m / 15 ft 6 in Wing area: 27.87 sq.m / 299.99 sq ft Max. speed: 788 km/h / 490 mph Ceiling: 12800 m / 42000 ft Range: 1930 km / 1199 miles Armament: 6 x 12.7mm machine-guns, 2 x 450kg bombs
From its P-35 single-seat tighter Republic (latterly Seversky) developed the Model 2PA Guardsman two-seat escort fighter and fighter-bomber with the same type of rearward semi-retracting main landing gear units and the glazed rear portion of the cockpit expanded rearward to accommodate the second crewman. There was no US market for such an aeroplane, so the company looked for export sales.
Two were sold to the USSR as 2PA-L/As, 20 2PA-B3s went to Japan with the local designation A8V1, and 52 2PA-204Ls were ordered by Sweden to supplement her J 9 fighters (P-35s sold with the company designation EP-1-06s). Early in World War II the US administration embargoed the delivery of the 2PA-204Ls to Sweden, and these were taken into the USAAC inventory as AT-12 advanced fighter trainers with the designation AT-12. The aircraft saw limited use in this role during the first part of World War II.
AT-12 two-seat advanced tighter trainer Span: 12.5m (41ft ) Length: 8.43m (27 ft 8in) Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-45, 783kW (1,050 hp) Armament: 4 or 7 x 7.62-mm (0.3-in) mg Bombload: 227 kg (500 lb) under wings Max T/O weight: 2918 kg (6,433 lb) Max speed: 285 mph at 10,000ft Operational range: 1,200 miles
The Republic P-44 Rocket was a fighter design concept based on YP-43 with 1400hp P&W R-2180 engine. Never built, initial contracts for 80 and 827 units were cancelled in favour of P-47.
The Lancer was a single-seat interceptor fighter that first appeared in service evaluation YP-43 form in 1940. With a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engine and bulky fuselage, it was clearly a product of the Republic Aviation Corporation. Production for the USAAF, RAAF and China totalled 272 aircraft in three versions. Six P-43B reconnaissance fighters were allotted for Australian RAAF use, as PRU aircraft.
The P-43 Lancer design was developed further into the P-47 Thunderbolt.
P-43 Engine: 1 x Pratt-Whitney R-1830-47, 1167kW Length: 8.69 m / 29 ft 6 in Height: 4.27 m / 14 ft 0 in Wing area: 20.72 sq.m / 223.03 sq ft Max take-off weight: 3600 kg / 7937 lb Empty weight: 2565 kg / 5655 lb Wingspan: 10.97 m / 36 ft 0 in Max. speed: 562 km/h / 349 mph Ceiling: 11580 m / 38000 ft Range: 1287 km / 800 miles Crew: 1 Armament: 2 x 12.7mm machine-guns, 2 x 7.62mm machine-guns
Developed in parallel with the R-37, the R-38 was essentially similar to the R-36 apart from having a 1030hp Rolls-Royce Merlin II engine. It was originally proposed with wings of two different sizes, but the sole prototype retained a similar wing to that of the R-36 and R-37. Armament comprised four wing-mounted 7.7mm or 13.2mm machine guns.
The R-38 flew for the first time on 4 August 1939, and gave excellent results during its test programme, which was still in process when German forces occupied Belgium. The sole prototype was flown to Bordeaux when the final collapse of Belgian resistance became inevitable, but was scrapped after capture in France by German forces.
Max take-off weight: 2600 kg / 5732 lb Empty weight: 1950 kg / 4299 lb Wingspan: 11.64 m / 38 ft 2 in Length: 8.80 m / 29 ft 10 in Height: 2.90 m / 10 ft 6 in Wing area: 20.00 sq.m / 215.28 sq ft Max. speed: 545 km/h / 339 mph Range: 1350 km / 839 miles
With an airframe fundamentally similar to that of the R-36, the R-37 differed primarily in having a close cowled 1100hp Gnome-Rhone 14N-21 14-cylinder radial engine. Cooling air reached the engine via a narrow annulus, was mixed with exhaust gases and ejected through two groups of nozzles to provide some thrust augmentation.
The proposed armament consisted of four 7.7mm or two 13.2mm machine guns mounted in the wings.
Although the R-37 was displayed statically at the Salon de Bruxelles in July 1939, no attempt had been made to fly this prototype before the German occupation of Belgium in May 1940. The R-37 was discovered at Evere by the occupation forces and a Luftwaffe pilot – possibly unaware that the aircraft had not previously been flown – flew the aircraft to Beauvechain. There is no record of any subsequent flight testing, although it is known that the R-37 was taken to Germany. Prior to the German occupation, Alfred Renard had prepared a project for a two-seat version, the R-37B, for use as a ground attack aircraft.
Max take-off weight: 2460 kg / 5423 lb Empty weight: 1810 kg / 3990 lb Wingspan: 11.64 m / 38 ft 2 in Length: 8.40 m / 28 ft 7 in Height: 2.90 m / 10 ft 6 in Wing area: 20.00 sq.m / 215.28 sq ft Max. speed: 510 km/h / 317 mph
Designed by Alfred Renard as a replacement for the Fairey Firefly in service with the Aviation Militaire, the R-36 was flown for the first time on 5 November 1937.
An advanced low-wing single-seat fighter, the R-36 with Hispano-Suiza engine was exhibited at the 1937 Brussels Aero Show.
Of all-metal construction and carrying an armament of one engine-mounted 20mm cannon and four wing-mounted 7.7mm machine guns, the R-36 was powered by a 910hp Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs 12-cylinder Vee-type liquid-cooled engine. Various modifications were introduced during the test programme – notably the relocation of the radiator bath and the enlargement of the rudder.
Late in 1938, the government took an option on a batch of 40 aircraft. The loss of the prototype on 17 January 1939 resulted in the programme being placed in abeyance and then dropped when the decision was taken to procure Hawker Hurricanes.
Max take-off weight: 2470 kg / 5445 lb Empty weight: 1770 kg / 3902 lb Wingspan: 11.64 m / 38 ft 2 in Length: 8.80 m / 29 ft 10 in Height: 2.90 m / 10 ft 6 in Wing area: 20.00 sq.m / 215.28 sq ft Max. speed: 505 km/h / 314 mph Range: 1000 km / 621 miles
In view of replacing the ageing Breguet XIX observation aircraft of the Aéronautique Militaire Belge, the Renard company developed a twin seat parasol-wing aircraft which in the first studies was designated as Renard RR (for Rolls-Royce). The renamed Renard R.31 was designed by Alfred Renard of Constructions Aéronautiques G. Renard to meet a requirement of the Belgian Air Force for a short ranged reconnaissance and army co-operation aircraft.
It was a parasol monoplane of mixed construction, powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine, with a welded steel tubing structure with metal sheet covering the forward fuselage and fabric covering of the remainder of the airframe. The wing was held in position by a single Vee strut on each side, conjoined with its fixed under carriage. Armament consisted of one or two forward-firing 7.62 mm Vickers machine guns and one 7.62 mm Lewis machine gun in flexible mount in rear cockpit. There was also a rarely used provision for dropping four 10 kg bombs under the wings.
Powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel II engine developing 487hp, it first flew at Haren airfield at Evere, near Brussels, on 16 October 1932, piloted by Renard test-pilot Charles Rooms.
The Aéronautique Militaire placed an order for 28 R.31s was placed in March 1934, with six to be built by Renard and the remainder by SABCA. One aircraft was fitted with a Lorraine Petrel engine for evaluation, but this was later replaced by the normal Kestrel engine.
After 1936 a second aircraft was fitted with an enclosed canopy and a Gnome-Rhône Mistral Major radial engine, becoming the R-32, with this then being replaced by a Hispano-Suiza 12Y engine, but the R-32 did not show sufficiently improved performance to gain a production order. The Renard R-32 was reworked as a normal R.31 thus becoming the 35th machine for the AéM.
A further six R.31s were ordered in August 1935 by the AéM. The aircraft received the military registrations N-1 to N-35.
The R.31 entered service with the Belgian Air Force in 1935, replacing the Breguet 19 in the 9e and 11e Escadrilles d’Observation based at Liège. In service, it was not popular, as it had poor handling, being vulnerable to entering flat spins if mishandled, with all aerobatics therefore being banned.
All the Renard R-31’s were used by the Bierset based observation squadrons – 9/V/1Aé (Sioux on blue circle) and 11/VI/1Aé (Sioux on red circle). At the start of the war 21 aircraft were available who were operational during the whole of the “18 day Campaign” flying their last mission on May 27th, 1940.
The R.31 was hopelessly obsolete, and those that were not destroyed on the ground in the early hours of the German Blitzkrieg invasion of Belgium in May 1940 were ravaged by German fighters as they bravely attempted to gather information on the German invasion. None apparently functioned as ground support aircraft during the brief Belgian Army resistance, flying 54 reconnaissance sorties in support of the Allied forces defending Belgium, with the last mission (which was also the final mission flown by the Belgian Air Force in its attempt to repel the Germans, being flown on the afternoon of 27 May 1940. Following the German occupation of Belgium, the Luftwaffe had no interest in the machines and those that had survived the initial onslaught were unused or were destroyed. Overall, these machines had no significant impact on the war although they were briefly involved.
As not a single Renard R.31 remains anywhere in the world, a number of volunteers at the Royal Army Museum at Brussels is building a 1/1 scale replica using the original blueprints.
All Aero 