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Arsenal VG-33

1940 WORLD WAR 2

History of Arsenal's VG-33

Among the vast array of WWII fighter jets is a little-known French design called the "VG-33". The aircraft stemmed from a rather long development line of prototypes produced by the company in the years leading up to World War II, and the VG-33 represented the culmination of that work before the German invasion made all further work obsolete.

The VG-33 was one of the more powerful French fighters of the pre-war period, including the Dewoitine D.520, comparable to the leading German fighter of the time, the famous Messerschmitt Bf 109.

The

Arsenal de l'Aeronautique group was created in 1936 by the French government before World War II. It started with the design and development of fast fighter jets until the German conquest of France in 1940, after which the company focused on engine production after 1945.

This was followed by the privatization of gliders and missile design and manufacture (eg SFECMAS) until 1952. The company then became part of the SNCAN brand and changed its name to "Nord Aviation" in 1955.

The finished VG-33 is a very modern looking fighter with smooth lines and a streamlined appearance. It was powered by an inline engine mounted in the front of the fuselage and guided by a large propeller spinner in the center of the three-blade unit. The cockpit remains amidships, the fuselage tapers towards the tail. The stern features traditionally arranged flat circular vertical fins and a low horizontal plane. As usual, the focus of construction is on the single-wing structure.

The visibility of the cockpit is blocked by the nose in front, the wings below and the raised fuselage spine in the rear. The Pilot sits under a largely unobstructed canopy that uses a lightweight frame and slides back on rails to gain access. A large air intake is found under the fuselage. The landing gear had the typical trailing arrangement of the time.

The building is mostly wood, so the design is very light, helping to improve performance and the manufacturing process. Unlike other fighters of the 1930s, the VG-33 had a well-armed 20mm Hispano-Suiza cannon firing through the propeller hub, supplemented by 4 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 series machine guns on the wing wings.

Dimensions include a length of 8.5m, a wingspan of 10.8m and a height of 3.3m. The curb weight is 4,520 pounds and the MTOW is 5,855 pounds.

Power comes from an 860-horsepower Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 inline liquid-cooled V12 engine, capable of a top speed of 350 mph, a range of 745 miles, and a service ceiling of f36,100 feet. Armament consists of a 20mm cannon and four 7.5mm machine guns.

This aircraft has never seen combat action during the French campaign. His arrival was too late to affect the outcome of the German plan. Therefore, due to limited production and no combat service, it largely disappeared into the pages of history, and all complete models were lost.