Single engine, two seat trainer.

 

      In an attempt to improve its trainer aircraft R.S.V. 32/90 (which was operated both by the military and civil flying schools) Alfred Renard modified its basic design by introducing two separate cockpits with full dual controls, a reduced wingspan bringing the wing surface to 26m2 and a new power plant option which could either be the 140hp Minerva or 180 hp Hispano engine. The Aéronautique Militaire Belge financed the sole example powered by the 140hp Minerva (R.S.V. 26/140) but was not satisfied with the performance and the Belgian engine’s unit price. The military decided to select the R.S.V. 26/180 equipped with the proven and AéM standardized Hispano engine. The result was an order for 10 R.S.V.26/180 (+ the Minerva prototype) which were registered V-1 to V-11 and delivered between 1925 and 1926. (Some sources mention that these military aircraft incorporated a new staggered wing but several pictures prove this to be wrong). In 1929 the unique R.S.V. 26/140 (by then modified to R.S.V. 26/180 Hispano standards) was registered “S-6” and served  as a test bed for the 215hp Armstrong-Siddeley Lynx engine. After the evaluation period it was returned to stock R.S.V. 26/180 configuration (with registration V-6) and used for night- and blind flying training. Most R.S.V. 26/180 aircraft were used by different units as squadron hacks and later on in the night-flying training role. Although no proof exist, it is accepted by Renard specialists such as André Hauet and Guy Roberty that most of the remaining R.S.V 26/180's were completely reworked between 1929 and 1931 into the much modified R.S.V. 26/180 Mk.III which is the subject of a separate datafile (which see).   (Daniel Brackx)