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With an airframe fundamentally similar to that of the
R-36, the R-37 differed primarily in having a closecowled
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.
 | A three-view drawing (1280 x 894) |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 2460 kg | 5423 lb |
| Empty weight | 1810 kg | 3990 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 11.64 m | 38 ft 2 in |
| Length | 8.40 m | 27 ft 7 in |
| Height | 2.90 m | 9 ft 6 in |
| Wing area | 20.00 m2 | 215.28 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 510 km/h | 317 mph |
| Stuart Waters, blue2wingman(@)btinternet.com, 09.07.2007 Looking at this aircraft I can see where Kurt Tank got his idea for the FW 190's original spinner/cowling arrangement from, I would imagine though, just as Tank found out, that this system would tend towards overheating! The pilots forward vision would leave a lot to be desired and it was too lightly armed. |
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