Arsenal VG 33/39 Review by Dale Smith (Azur 1/48)

Interesting looking plane for the French if only....

VG-33 aircraft development was started in May, 1939 and with exceptional performance, an order for 220 aircraft (later increased to 1000 aircraft) was placed in September, 1939. However only 19 examples were completed by the time of the French collapse. Engine was the Hispano-Suiza 12Y31 engine developing 860 hp.

Armament consisted of a 20-mm Hispano-Suiza 404 cannon firing through the propeller hub, and 4 wing mounted 7.5 mm MAC 1934 M 39 machine guns.

The VG-39 was the final development of the VG-30 series of aircraft. The main difference from the earlier VG-33 was that it was powered by a Hispano-Suiza Type 89ter 12 cylinder liquid cooled engine with an elongated propeller shaft producing 1,200 plus hp. Additional design changes included the use of a revised wing structure that retained the profiles and contours of the earlier VG-33 wing, and the fitting of six 7.5 mm MAC 1934 M 39 machine guns. Despite this specification, the picture I was able to locate of a VG-39 shows only four wing mounted 7.5 mm machine guns.

The planned production model, the VG-39bis was expected to have a fuselage from the VG-36 development aircraft, fitted with a 20mm engine-mounted cannon and powered by a Hispano-Suiza 12Z engine of 1,600 hp. Performance was impressive, attaining 625 kph (388 mph) at 5,750 m (18,865 ft).

Final production figures differed from reference to reference, but being conservative, it would be fairly safe to say that production before the surrender (not including proto-types) had amounted to roughly 100 to 160 airframes of the VG-33 version. 10 aircraft were able to escape to the south of the country during the German invasion, but all other aircraft were destroyed by the Germans after testing.

It appears only one (1) VG-39 spec. airframe was completed and test flown before the surrender.

Also:

Valeur des avions français en 1940 - Sujet Ubisoft

Attached Images

vg33double7xs.jpg (51.9 KB, 3 views)

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The French and Italians both had some really good aircraft designs and some really bad ones to add to the mix. It seems like the people running the French government were really amatures during the late 1930's and they learned very little from WWI. I guess they thought if they ignored the Germans they would go away.

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On the whole, the Vg 33 -39 series really didn't make any great breakthroughs in performance over other contemporary designs the French had. Arsenal was proposing for many of the series the use of US Allison V-1710 series engines (eg., the same engine in the P-38, 39, 40 etc.). Obviously, this engine would have seriously limited altitude performance if it was used just as it did for the US (note: the US was not exporting turbocharging technology as was being used on the P-38).
The same engine also precluded use of an engine mounted cannon so the designs with the Allison were armed with just six 7.5mm machineguns....or seriously underarmed.
On the whole, the VG series really does not offer that much of a performance improvement over the D 520.
Now, the Bloch Mb 157 had potential. The prototype hit 440 mph and would have had 2 20mm HS cannon and 2 7.5 mm machineguns. This was real potential.

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