As a Belgian myself AND an aviation enthusiast to boot, I have known about the Renard designs for a long time, but for most of my followers I guess it will come as a surprise that in the late thirties, several sleek fighter prototypes represented an interesting 'what if' for Belgian military aviation. Unfortunately, the promising R36 lost its attractiveness for both the BAF and potential foreign buyers after the prototype crashed. And the R37 and R38 simply came too late to even be considered for purchase, as Belgium had alreay bought Hawker Hurricanes, Fiat CR42s and Brewster Buffaloes. Still, it's an interesting story, told well by Ed Nash:





A Renard type that DID make it in active BAF service was the R31, a parasol monoplane used for recce. In the event, during the so-called 18-Day Campaign in May 1940, it even performed some ground attacks. The type was Remi Van Lierde's mount.



MFBB.

Highly recommended, and before you start huffing and puffing, WATCH IT TILL THE END. I admit the title is somewhat clickbaity, but the guy is delivering truthbombs in spades... and is NOT targeting females at all. If after viewing you still think so, you have understood zilch.





MFBB.

To all my followers (are you even still there?), my very best wishes for a happy, prosperous and above all healthy New Year!

And another year has passed. One that was fraught with downright depressing developments, be it one the battlefield in Ukraine, on the streets of Western Europe, or in the Pacific.





From the looks of it, it doesn't seem to be getting any better in the short term, although as regards the war in Ukraine, I have modest hopes that this is the last war winter. As for Western Europe, I guess we still have to swallow a LOT more mayhem before sufficient Europeans rise up and hang their traitor politicians from the nearest lampposts. The influx of litterally millions of semiliterate, unassimilable 3rd World welfare seekers continues unabated and one can only conclude that if it is not by design (although more and more I tend to think it IS), then, in any case, it is facilitated.


These are momentous times. On the one hand tech empires in East and West come up with ever more baffling milestones in the field of space exploration, quantum computing, biotech, AI and what not.


On the other hand we are witnessing an incomprehensible desire by the Western Left to obliterate all that is good, noble and worthy of preserving. In most if not all western societies, there are signs that people have had enough and are standing up. But will there be enough time? Will there even be sufficient Europeans and Americans who object to being replaced?


Time will tell. As for me, I will do my damnedest best - modest though my efforts are - to stave off the apparent leftist desire to turn our beautiful countries into the 3rd World hellholes where their favored constituencies come from.



MFBB.