EKW C-35

EKW C-35
Role	Reconnaissance and ground-attack aircraft
Manufacturer	K+W
First flight	1930s
Introduction	1936
Retired	1954
Primary user	Swiss Air Force
Number built	90[1][2]

The EKW C-35 was a 1930s Swiss two-seat reconnaissance biplane aircraft built by the Swiss Federal Construction Works (Eidgenoessische Konstruktionswerkstaette, K+W), Thun.

Development

Two aircraft were designed by the Eidgenössische Konstruktions Werkstätte to replace the Fokker C.Ve which the Swiss Air Force were using. The two projects were the EKW C-35 biplane and the EKW C-36 monoplane. After evaluation the air force ordered 40 C-35s in 1936. Additional aircraft were built from spares. The C-35 was a two-seat biplane with fixed tailwheel landing gear and conventional tail unit. The aircraft was powered by a Hispano-Suiza HS-77 V-12 piston engine (licence-built Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs).

Operational history

The first aircraft was delivered to the Swiss Air Force in May 1937, and all had been delivered by the end of 1938. To supplement the aircraft in-service a further eight aircraft were built between 1941 and 1942 from spares. The aircraft were removed from front-line service in 1943 when replaced by the F&W C-3603 and transferred to night-flying units. The aircraft was withdrawn from service in 1954.

Operators

  Switzerland

• Swiss Air Force

Specifications (C-35)

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1593

General characteristics

• Crew: Two
• Length: 9.54 m (31 ft 3.5 in)
• Wingspan: 13.08 m (42 ft 11 in)
• Height: 3.75 m (12 ft 3.5 in)
• Wing area: 32 m^2 (344.46 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 2,190 kg (4,828 lb)
• Gross weight: 3,130 kg (6,900 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza HS-77 piston engine (licence-built Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs) , 642 kW (860 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 335 km/h (208 mph, 181 kn)
• Range: 750 km (466 mi, 405 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 8,000 m (26,247 ft)
• Rate of climb: 11.51 m/s (2,265 ft/min)

Armament

• 1 x 20-mm cannon (forward firing through propeller hub)
• 2 x fixed forward firing 7.5 mm (0.295in) machine-guns in wings
• 1 x flexible 7.5 mm (0.295in) machine-gun in rear-cockpit
• 22lb (22kg) of bombs on underwing racks

References

1. "Ausgemusterte Mittel der Schweizer Luftwaffe - C-35". Archived from the original on 2013-05-08. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
2. "World Air Forces Switzerland Air Force". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2013-07-10.

Bibliography

• Cortet, Pierre (June 1998). "Rétros du Mois" [Retros of the Month]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (75): 4. ISSN 1243-8650.