Alfred Renard
Renard R.35
The Renard R.35 was a Belgian single‑engine transport aircraft developed in the mid‑1930s by the A. Renard company, the workshop founded by engineer Alfred Renard. Conceived as a versatile platform for both mail‑carrier and light‑passenger service, the R.35 made its first flight in June 1936 at the Evere airfield near Brussels. Its design featured a high‑mounted, cantilever wing of all‑metal construction, a closed cabin that could accommodate up to four passengers or a comparable cargo load, and a robust 260 hp Gnome‑Rhône radial engine driving a two‑bladed propeller. Retractable under‑carriage, a fully enclosed cockpit, and a streamlined fuselage gave the aircraft a maximum speed of 210 km/h and a range of roughly 900 km, impressive figures for its class at the time. Only a handful of R.35s were built before the outbreak of World War II halted production, but the type demonstrated the technical competence of the Belgian aviation industry and helped establish Alfred Renard’s reputation as a pioneer of modern aircraft design. The R.35 remains a noteworthy example of interwar innovation and a symbol of Belgium’s brief but vibrant aeronautical heritage. Its legacy endures in museum displays and scholarly studies of early European aviation.
