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Renard Epervier

Epervier-Pilot-Julien-Meunier-vdm.jpg

Pilot Julien Meunier (N° 1 Officers Promotion) posing in front of Renard Epervier C-1 at Evere airfield.

Single engine - single seat fighter aircraft

   The Renard Epervier (Sparrowhawk) was a parasol fighter design completely build from duraluminium of which only two prototypes were manufactured. A first prototype Epervier Type 2 was constructed by Stampe & Vertongen at Deurne in 1928 but unfortunately was lost near Vilvoorde in September 1928 after failing to recover from a flat spin. A replacement aircraft designated Type 2bis was built by SABCA at Haren (near Brussels) and was registered as OO-AKN on 28 November 1929. Having its original Sabca built Bristol Jupiter engine of 480hp replaced by the more powerful 700 hp Hispano-Suiza 12N, the aircraft participated in a fighter aircraft fly-off competition organized by the Belgian Government. Other competitors in the fly off, which took place at Evere on 27 January 1930 were the French Dewoitine D.27 and Morane Saulnier MS.222, the British Bristol Bulldog II and the Czech Avia BH.33 (both last designs were eliminated early on in the evaluation process). Unfortunately, it was the outsider, the Fairey Firefly who got the order for a new Belgian Air Force fighter.

    In the meantime, having been acquired by the air force, the aircraft received the military serial C-1, while the civil registration was cancelled on 4 April 1932. Unconfirmed reports mention that the Epervier served at the Pilot School of Wevelgem for a number of years.

    A further development of the basic design- designated Epervier Type 3 powered by a Rolls Royce Kestrel or type F engine of 700 hp V-12 in line engine and using a redesigned wing, was studied under a government contract, but was never built.

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