- Yes
- No
- Benelux
- France
- UK
- Other / Don’t know
- I said no
The Renard R.38 is the last variant of the R.36 family that was fully built.
It was first flown on August 4th 1939 by SABCA test pilot Paul Burniat, who later said that the R.38’s flight performance placed it between the Hurricane and the Spitfire.
The Renard R.36 flew from 1937 until its very unlucky crash in January 1939. In the meantime, the prototype had sparked a good deal of interest around it, namely from France, China, and Belgium itself. In late 1938, Alfred Renard announced that 6 more R.36 airframes were under construction, but in the end only 2 more would be completed and a third (the R.40) was still unfinished by the time of the German invasion.
As a variant of the R.36, the R.38 was extremely similar to it, albeit with a few differences.
The biggest difference is obviously the engine, which was swapped from a Hispano-Suiza 12Y21 to a Rolls-Royce Merlin II, giving it a healthy boost in speed, climb rate and acceleration. However it also meant that the nose-mounted cannon had to be dropped, but luckily, the remaining wing-mounted machine guns would be upgraded to a much deadlier standard…
As for other cosmetic differences, they included a streamlined and simplified wing root and nose fuselage fairings, a larger rudder, and the aft fuselage fabric going all the way back to the tail.
Renard R.38
Specifications
Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin II (1050 hp)
Wingspan: 11.64 m
Length: 8.8 m
Height: 2.9 m
Wing area: 20 m²
Empty weight: 1950 kg
Loaded weight: 2600 kg
Wing loading: 130 kg - Est. Turn time: 16 s
Max speed: 560 km/h at 5000 m, 450 km/h at sea level*
Armament: 4 × 13.2 mm FN-Browning machine guns**
Payload: 8 × 10 kg bombs + 1 or 2 grenade launchers with 30 grenades each
Climb rate: 20.5 m/s at 4000 m*
Service ceiling: 12900 m
Range: 1350 km
*This is with 100 octane fuel, which would probably come as a researchable modification. For 87 octane fuel, figures would be 550 km/h and 17.8 m/s.
**Normally it is armed with 13.2 mm FN-Browning machine guns, but they can be replaced by two Hispano 20 or 23 mm (Madsen?) cannons. This modification was not carried out before the German invasion. Technical documentation from the Ateliers Renard also mentions the possibility of fitting four 20 mm cannons to the R.38, but this is, in my opinion, less likely to have been carried out due to possible weight constraints.
As for the flight performance, the Renard R.38 doesn’t have a spectacular top speed, despite its Merlin engine. However, maneuverability is excellent, as pointed out by test pilot Paul Burniat, who said the flight performance of this plane place it between the Spitfire and the Hurricane, as a middle ground between the Spitfire’s faster speed and the Hurricane’s tighter turning radius.
Other strong points include an excellent climb speed, a devastating armament, and for sim players, good visibility from the cockpit.
What are its weak points then? Well, while it could be fun to try to kill open-tops in mixed battles with the 10 kg bombs or the grenade launcher (!), that is still quite limiting in terms of ground attack.
However, what allowed its excellent dogfighting capabilities can also be its downfall, as the R.38 has no self-sealing fuel tanks or any armor plating!
If we consider the R.36s flight reports, we can also assume an average roll rate and mild rudder compression past 460 km/h IAS, although the latter would be largely offset by the redesigned and enlarged tail.
Despite this, the Renard R.38 is a formidable opponent in any dogfight, with a playstyle similar to the Spitfire or even the Zero
Sources
“Renard R-36/37/38 & 40”, Nicolas Godfurnon
