World War 2 In Review: Renard R.31: Belgian Reconnaissance Aircraft

Renard R.31 N13, of 11/VI/1Aé, made inoperative at Oostende/Stene on 28 May 1940 and abandoned.

The Renard R.31 was a Belgian reconnaissance aircraft of the 1930s. A single-engined parasol monoplane, 32 R.31s were built for the Belgian Air Force, the survivors of which, although obsolete, remained in service when Nazi Germany invaded Belgium in 1940. The Renard R.31 was the only World War II operational military aircraft entirely designed and built in Belgium.

Design and Development

The 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 first flew from Evere Airfield, near Brussels, on 16 October 1932.

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.

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. 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. A further six R.31s were ordered in August 1935.

Operational History

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.

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, instead flying fifty-four reconnaissance sorties in support of the Allied forces defending Belgium. Their last sortie, flown on the afternoon of 27 May 1940, was also the final mission flown by the Belgian Air Force in its attempt to repel the Germans. 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.

Project Renard R.31

For many years, the Alfred Renard National Fund – FNAR-, as a tribute to the civilian engineer Alfred Renard, Belgian designer and builder of aircraft, have been constructing a replica of one of his legendary creations, the Renard R-31, a high-wing aircraft, equipped with a Rolls Royce 500 hp engine. Two squadrons equipped with this aircraft had their hour of glory during the defense of Belgian territory at the start of the Second World War II during the 18 Days Campaign of May 1940.

The replica is made of wood, covered with canvas, with some metal accessories, and without a motor, while the structure of the actual aircraft was metallic.

The construction of the replica continues every Saturday by a handful of FNAR volunteers and the AELR volunteers. The project has been ongoing for several years and the intention is to complete it by the end of 2021.

Specifications

Role: Reconnaissance

Manufacturer: Renard

First flight: 1932

Introduction: 1935

Retired: 1940

Operators: Belgian Air Force

Number built: 34

Crew: 2

Length: 9.2 m (30 ft 2 in)

Wingspan: 14.4 m (47 ft 3 in)

Height: 2.92 m (9 ft 7 in)

Wing area: 32 m2 (340 sq ft)

Airfoil: Biconvex

Empty weight: 1,330 kg (2,932 lb)

Gross weight: 2,130 kg (4,696 lb)

Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIS V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 358 kW (480 hp)

Propellers: 2-bladed wooden fixed-pitch propeller

Maximum speed: 294 km/h (183 mph, 159 kn) at 4,000 m (13,123 ft)

Cruise speed: 238 km/h (148 mph, 129 kn)

Range: 650 km (400 mi, 350 nmi)

Service ceiling: 8,750 m (28,710 ft)

Time to altitude: 2,000 m (6,562 ft) in 5 minutes 30 seconds; 5,000 m (16,404 ft) in 11 minutes 42 seconds

Power/mass: 0.17 kW/kg (0.10 hp/lb)

Guns: 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

Further Reading

Hauet, André (October 1972). "Le Renard R.31". Le album de fanatique de l'Aviation (in French) (37): 22–26.

Pacco, John. "Renard R.31" Belgisch Leger/Armee Belge: Het militair Vliegwezen/l'Aeronautique militaire 1930-1940. Aartselaar, Belgium, 2003, pp. 49–51.

Delannay, Alain de la Lindi, André Henry. "La Saga du R-31" . Brussels, Belgium:Fonds National Alfred Renard www.fnar.be, 2003, pp. 378.

Renard R.31, Belgian Air Force, 1936.

Renard R.31 N1, of 9/V/1Aé and 11/VI/1Aé, destroyed during German bombing raid on Evere on 10 May 1940.

Renard R.31 N2, converted with Lorraine “Petrel” engine, returned to its original configuration, then of 11/VI/1 Aé, fate unknown.

Renard R.31 N3, of 9/V/1Aé, destroyed at Sint-Niklaas-Waas on 15 May 1940.

Renard R.31 N4, of 11/VI/1Aé, last seen at Hingene on 11 May 1940, ultimate fate unknown.

Renard R.31 N5, of 11/VI/1Aé, fate unknown.

Renard R.31 N6, of 11/VI/1Aé and 9/V/1Aé (on loan), hit by German anti-aircraft fire on 15 May 1940. Upon landing at Hemiksem the aircraft was too shot up to be repaired and was set afire to avoid falling into enemy hands.

Renard R.31 N7, of 9/V/1Aé, destroyed on takeoff from Duras-Wilderen airfield on 11 May 1940 by three attacking Luftwaffe Henschel Hs 123 of II(S)/LG2. Crew safe.

Renard R.31 N8, of 9/V/1Aé, attacked during landing by a Luftwaffe Bf 109, stalled and crashed at Zwevezele-Wingene on 18 May 1940.

Renard R.31 N9, of 11/VI/1Aé, emergency landing at Kampenhout after being hit by anti-aircraft fire on 16 May 1940. Aircraft set afire by crew.

Renard R.31 N-10. Used as the prototype for the Renard R.32 (OO-ARY Certificate of Authority No. 378), but eventually restored to R.31 standards, N-10, of 9/V/1Aé, crashed upon landing at Lombardsijde on 26 May 1940.

Renard R.31 N11, of 9/V/1Aé and 11/VI/1Aé, fatal crash at Beverlo/Hechtel on 15 March 1938.

Renard R.31 N12, of 9/V/1Aé, fate unknown.

Renard R.31 N14, of 11/VI/1Aé, abandoned at Bierset.

Renard R.31 N15, of VI/1Aé at Bierset, no further information.

Renard R.31 N16, dual control, also equipped for blind flying training, of 9/V/1Aé. When landing back at Hemiksem on 15 May 1940 the aircraft was badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire. Parts were salvaged and aircraft set afire when Hemiksem was evacuated.

Renard R.31 N17, of 9/V/1Aé, destroyed (lost the left uundercarriage leg and wheel) while landing at Lombardijde on 26 May 1940.

Renard R.31 N18, Pilot School and 11/VI/1Aé, shot down at s'Herenelderen on 11 May 1940.

Renard R.31 N19, of 9/V/1Aé, probably made inoperative and abandoned at Lombardsijde on 28 May 1940. With N-16 in background.

Renard R.31 N20, of 11/VI/1Aé, fate unknown.

Renard R.31 N21, of 11/VI/1Aé, equipped with under-fuselage hook, ultimate fate unknown, last noted at Hannut in January 1940.

Renard R.31 N22, of 9/V/1Aé, crashed in the harbor channel of Oostende after mid-air collision with Renard N-12 off Bredene on 18 October 1937.

Renard R.31 N23, of 9/V/1Aé, aircraft hit by numerous bullets during recce mission on 18 May 1940, exact fate after landing at Zwevezele unknown.

Renard R.31 N24, of 9/V/1Aé, crashed because of structural failure after overstressing aircraft in a dive.

Renard R.31 N25, of 9/V/1Aé, aircraft got into a spin and crashed at Fooz on 1 July 1936.

Renard R.31 N26, of 9/V/1Aé, abandoned at Evere airfield.

Renard R.31 N27, of 9/V/1Aé, crashed at Wezemaal on 16 July 1936 during test flight.

Renard R.31, of 11/VI/1Aé, last noted at Hingene airfield on 11 May 1940, fate unknown.

Renard R.31 N29, of 11/VI/1Aé, crashed at Hollogne-aux-Pierres on 30 September 1939, due to the wings breaking off after a brutal recovery from a dive. Crew safe.

Renard R.31 N30, of 9/V/1Aé, damaged during recce mission on Kwaadmechelen-Beringen-Lummen-Diest region. Most probably abandoned at Steenokkerzeel airfield.

Renard R.31 N31, of 11/VI/1Aé, written off in emergency landing on the beach at Klemskerke on 6 March 1940.

Renard R.31 N31. Unfortunately the incoming tide destroyed the aircraft which lost its tail in the process.

Renard R.31 N33, of /III/3Aé and 9/V/1Aé, made inoperative and abandoned at Lombardsijde on 28 May 1940.

Renard R.31 N34, of 11/VI/1Aé, last noted at Peutie on 12 May 1940, shot down by anti-aircraft fire near nearcq-Iez-Tournai on 23 May 1940, crew killed. Photo shows N-34 during the alert period at Hannut airfield in January 1940.

Renard R.31 N35, of 11/VI/1Aé, abandoned at Bierset on 10 May 1940, aircraft was in maintenance.

Renard R.31.

Renard R.31 instrument panel.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, no original R.31 exists, but because of the type’s importance to Belgian history volunteers are now constructing a full scale replica aircraft to original drawings. It is seen at what is known as the Brussels Air Museum, although it is actually the Air and Space Section of the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History. Brussels, Belgium.

Another view of the full-scale replica.

Renard R.32 first prototype, an R.31 fitted with an enclosed canopy and a Gnome-Rhône Mistral Major radial engine.

Renard R.32 first prototype with the Gnome-Rhône 14N01 engine.

First prototype for the Renard R.32 (OO-ARY Certificate of Authority N° 378) with the Gnome-Rhône 14N01 engine, but eventually restored to R.31 standards, N-10 of 9/V/1Aé, crashed upon landing at Lombardsijde on 26 May 1940.

Renard R.32 first prototype.

Renard R.32 first prototype under construction.

Renard R.32 first prototype.

Renard R.32 cockpit.

The ill-fated Hispano-Suiza 12 Ybrs powered second prototype R.32 seen shortly before delivery to the Militair Vliegwezen/Aéronautique Militaire in 1936. Crashed at Meerbeek (Korenberg) on 12 July 1936 on its delivery flight (toxic fumes in cockpit).

Renard R.32 with the Hispano-Suiza engine.

Renard R.32 first prototype three-view.

Renard R.31 three-view with sideview of R.32.