| R.35 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Airliner |
| National origin | Belgium |
| Manufacturer | Renard |
| Designer | Alfred Renard |
| First flight | 1 April 1938 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Renard R.35 was a prototype pressurised airliner of the 1930s built by the Belgian company Constructions Aéronautiques G. Renard. A three-engined low-winged monoplane with retractable undercarriage, the R.35 was destroyed in a crash on its first flight.
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In 1935, Alfred Renard, chief designer and co-founder of the Renard company, started design of a pressurised airliner for use by SABENA on its routes to the Belgian Congo. Renard designed a low-winged monoplane of all-metal construction, powered by three engines as required by SABENA, and received an order for a single prototype on 3 April 1936.[1] The R.35 had a circular section fuselage, housing a pressurised cabin which accommodated twenty passengers and a flight crew of three. It was intended to be powered by a range of radial engines with the 950 hp (709 kW) Gnome-Rhône 14K preferred by Renard, but the prototype was fitted with 750 hp (560 kW) Gnome-Rhône 9K engines.[2][3]
The R.35 was completed early in 1938.[2] On 1 April 1938, it was planned to carry out high-speed taxiing trials at Evere airfield in front of an audience of visiting dignitaries and journalists. After carrying out a single taxi-run, however, the R.35 took off during a second run, and while attempting a circuit to return to the runway, the R.35 dived into the ground and was destroyed, killing the pilot Georges Van Damme. The cause of the crash was unknown.[4][5][6] Following this crash, SABENA abandoned its interest in the R.35, and Renard abandoned development.[2]
Data from A Belgian Rare Avis [7]
General characteristics
Performance
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