Arsenal VG-33

what is it?

The Arsenal VG-33 was one of a series of fast French light fighter aircraft under development at the start of World War II, but which matured too late to see extensive service in the French Air Force during the Battle of France.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 10.8 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 554 km/htop speed
• range 1,200 kmwithout refuelling
• size 2,448 kgmax take-off weight
• built 50made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 87 years ago, in 1939.
• 🏎️Top speed is 4.3× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 10.8 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,200 km: 7× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.2× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1939-04-25

introduced

1940

number built

50

role

fighter

makers

Arsenal de l'Aéronautique

engines

1× Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31

crew

1

length

8.6 m

wingspan

10.8 m

height

3.3 m

max take-off weight

2,448 kg

top speed

554 km/h

range

1,200 km

ceiling

11,000 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.