Founded as Seversky Aircraft Corporation at Long Island, New York, in 1931. Since de Seversky had made somewhat of a pariah of himself in the USA by selling combat aircraft to Japan, the Army ordered no more P-35s from Seversky. By early 1939, his company had gotten itself into some deep financial trouble. In Apr 1939, while de Seversky was out of the country on a business trip, the board of directors of his company voted him out of office as CEO and changed the name of the company to Republic. The newly-formed company then recapitalized itself and Alexander Kartveli was appointed as vice president and technical director. Having been forced into involuntary early retirement, de Seversky spent the rest of his life writing and consulting, and Kartveli and the Republic company went on to design and produce the famed P-47 Thunderbolt.
Secured $56.5 million contract for fighter from the USAAC in 1940, largest single fighter order ever placed until then by U.S. Government. Built P- 35, P-44 and P-43 Lancers for USAAC plus some EP-1 s, based on P-35, for Swedish Government. Lancer design developed further into P-47 Thunderbolt for USAAF, of which 15,329 were built during Second World War.
Aircooled Motors, manufacturers of the Franklin aircraft engines, were acquired by Republic on 27 December 1945.
Immediate postwar designs included the Seabee single-engine amphibian, the XF-12 high-altitude long-range four-engine photo-reconnaissance aircraft prototype, and the F-84 Thunderjet/Thunderstreak/Thunderflash series of jetfighters. The larger and heavier F-105 Thunderchief followed in 1955, and in 1965 the company became the Republic Aviation Division of Fairchild Hiller Corporation. Republic became a division of Fairchild in 1965, becoming the Fairchild Republic Company in 1972.
The 5/6th scale replica was designed as an easy and inexpensive representation of this famous First World War Fighter using modern materials and engines. The reduced scale allows for the use of 65 to 100 hp “flat four” engines although some examples have more powerful engines. Wood and fabric construction.
The prototype flew in Canada in 1970 and there were two flying in New Zealand with at least two more under construction. The wooden wing has a leading edge covered with either fibreglass or aluminum, the rest being fabric-covered. The plywood-covered box fuselage has a fabric-covered turtle-deck and aluminum-covered forward section. Performance from an 85 hp powered SE-5A Replica are a cruise speed of 135 km/h and 150 m/min climb rate.
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.
This 4 passenger tri-motor was designed in response to an official Belgian request for a long range transport aircraft for the Belgian Congo. It met all the design requirements but by the time it flew in 1931 it was already obsolete and only one was completed.
Engines: 3 x 120 h.p. Renard 5 cylinder radials Span: 49’3″ Length: 32′ 10″ Height: 11′ 2″ Wing area: 360 sq ft Empty Weight: 3,410 lb Gross Weight: 5040 lb Max Speed: 131 mph Range: 700 miles Service ceiling: 23,000 ft
Designed by Georges and Alfred Renard to compete in a government-sponsored design contest, the Epervier (Sparrowhawk) single-seat all-metal fighter monoplane was intended for a 12-cylinder liquid-cooled Hispano- Suiza 12 J Vee-type engine. Unavailability of this power plant led to installation of a 480hp Gnome-Rhone Jupiter VI nine-cylinder radial in the first prototype, which was built by Stampe et Vertongen as the Epervier Type 2 and flown in 1928. The Epervier Type 2 carried an armament of two synchronised 7.7mm guns and was lost on 11 September 1928 after failing to recover from a flat spin.
A second prototype, the Epervier Type 2bis, introduced revised streamlined fairings for the cantilever mainwheel legs, mainwheel spats and cylinder aft-fairings, and was built by SABCA (Societe Anonyme Beige de Constructions Aeronautiques) under contract for Alfred Renard. Since Alfred Renard was both chief designer for Renard and technical director of Stampe, it is hard to keep the two firms separate. Demonstrated early in 1930 in competition with various foreign types for an Aviation Militaire order, the Epervier Type 2bis was rejected in favour of the Fairey Firefly.
A further development of the basic design, the Epervier Type 3 powered by a 480hp Rolls-Royce “F” engine and utilising mixed construction and a redesigned wing, was studied under government contract, but was not built.
Type 2bis Powerplant: 1 × SABCA Jupiter, 360 kW (480 hp) Wingspan: 10.20 m / 33 ft 6 in Wing area: 20.00 sq.m / 215.28 sq ft Length: 7.00 m / 23 ft 0 in Height: 2.76 m / 9 ft 1 in Empty weight: 794 kg / 1750 lb Max take-off weight: 1300 kg / 2866 lb Wing loading: 62.5 kg/m2 (12.8 lb/sq ft) Power/mass: 3.49 kg/kW (5.74 lb/hp) Maximum speed: 273 km/h (170 mph, 147 kn) Maximum speed at 4,000 m (13,000 ft): 265 km/h (165 mph; 143 kn) Maximum speed at 5,000 m (16,000 ft): 261 km/h (162 mph; 141 kn) Stall speed: 99 km/h (62 mph, 53 kn) Service ceiling: 9,300 m (30,500 ft) Practical ceiling; 8,600 m (28,200 ft) Time to 4,000 m (13,000 ft): 8 minutes 30 seconds Time to 5,000 m (16,000 ft): 12 minutes 35 seconds Crew: 1 Guns: 2x synchronised fixed forward firing 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers machine-guns
