Arsenal J 36 Falke

J 36 Falke
Melasian J 36 Falke near Humboldtsberg in 1942
Role	Fighter aircraft
National origin	Melasia
Manufacturer	Arsenal
Designer	Erich Krammer
First flight	10 April 1938
Introduction	1939
Retired	1961 Melasian air force
Status	Retired
Primary user	Melasian air force
Produced	1939–1946
Number built	354 + 3 prototypes
Variants	Arsenal J 42 Arsenal J 47

The J 36 Falke ("hawk") was a Melasian fighter aircraft of the first half of the 20th century. It was designed by Erich Krammer and produced by the Melasian aviation company Arsenal. The aircraft is remarkable for being Melasia's first domestically designed and produced fighter aircraft and the first non-Berean type of combat aircraft to exceed speeds of 400 km/h (200 kn) in a straight level flight. The J 36 was of a mixed semi-monocoque and stressed skin design, built mostly of wood and fabric, with metal used in vital points of the structure like the engine cowling and the rudder fin joint. It also had some advanced features for the period, like the retractable landing gear, the completely enclosed cockpit and the split flaps. The high wingspan and the short fuselage provided a relatively small wing loading, while the light weight of the wooden construction coupled with a powerful V-12 engine allowed for a respectable degree of manoeuvrability.

The J 36 was a result of a fear in high echelons of Melasian government of possible Berean sanctions due to the aggressive Melasian foreign policy in Kenlong and against Mascylla. A tender was called for a lightweight fighter aircraft to replace the aging endargered Melasian air fleet, that consisted of mostly Mascyllary-built machines. The Melasian Ministry of war called for an aircraft equipped with the Lavarian-built Fábrica Automotiva Popular 12Y engine and the Nordic 20mm Oerlikon FF gun, both available after an agreemend was signed between Melasia and the respectable countries earlier 1936. Following a short public tender the variant presented by Arsenal was selected. The aircraft was introduced in 1939 and relatively quickly became the standard Melasian fighter. It served actively during the Melasian Crisis, when it proved to be a potent opponent to earlier Mascyllary aircraft on low altitudes. After the initial stages of the conflict, and the introduction of newer models by the Mascyllary air force, the J 36 began to underperform and was almost withdrawn from frontline service when the conflict seized in 1943. The remaining inventory of J 36s was then used in Kenlong, where it performed anti-guerrilla operations against the various Kenlongese revolutionary groups. The type was withdrawn from frontline service with the Melasian air force by 1947 but remained in the inventory up until the early 1960s.

The J 36 served primarily with the Melasian air force. Several airframes were transported to Mascylla for evaluation during the Melasian crisis. In addition, not less than 56 aircraft were leased to the State of Kenlong after the beginning of the Kenlongese War, with most of them being destroyed in combat. Despite its potent characteristics for the era and the relatively low price, its slow production rate and the ever-growing international isolation of the country prevented its international export potential, with several states showing interest prior to the crisis being rejected by the Melasian government due to lack of surplus aircraft engines. Several attempts to improve and upgrade the model were performed throughout its service life, with the J 47 seeing the most success and becoming the next standard Melasian fighter.

Design and Development

Background

Alsich A.123 fighters of the Melasian air force in 1935. Originally intended as dive bombers, these Mascyllary aircraft formed the backbone of the Melasian fighter squadrons in the mid-1930s

The Melasian air force was formed in the aftermath of the Great war, when the state, then known as the Federated Melasian States, received several Mascyllary biplane fighters and flying boats in its inventory and formed the Melasian air corps of the Melasian army. The small air arm was used mostly for maritime patrol and remained a part of the country's army until the reforms of Wilhelm Keller, when the country received an air force as a separate branch of the armed forces. The newly-formed air force continued to use Mascyllary produced aircraft, but with the worsening relations between the two countries it became more and more apparent that a new supplier for the military must be found. The Melasian government attempted to sign a number of contracts for the delivery of military hardware from Lavaria, but these attempts were blocked by Mascylla in the Assembly of Nations, resulting in the delivery of several hundred aviational engines from the Lavarian automotive manufacturer Fábrica Automotiva Popular. As it was believed that Melasia lacked the industry to produce competetive modern military aircraft, the mascyllary officials allowed the purchase. In the meantime, the relations between Melasia and the main Mascyllary rival in Berea, the Cuthish state, grew better and better as the country tried to strengthen its industry following the forced nationalization of Mascyllary assets between 1936 and 1938. Cuthish specialists helped establish the main aircraft manufaturing company of the country, Arsenal, and provided the needed equipment to attempt the production of more modern aircraft.

In the mid-1930s, the Melasian air force was still equipped with outdated biplane designs of Mascyllary origin, like the Alsich A.123. By early 1936 it became apparent that the country can no longer rely on Mascylla and that the worsening relations between the two states can soon lead to an armed conflict, in which Melasia was clearly inferior to the Berean state. All these facts led to the issue of Design specification No. 24 by the Ministry of War in early 1936. This specification called for a light fighter that could satisfy the following requirements:

• Cruise speed of 380 km/h (200 kn) at an altitude of 1,500m (5,000 ft)
• Maximum speed above 400 km/h (200 kn) at an altitude of 1,500 m (5,000 ft)
• Rate of climb of at least 5.6 m/s (17.8 ft/s)
• Take-off run of 320 m (1,000 ft) and landing run of 420 m (1,400 ft)
• Armament consisting of at least one 20mm autocannon in a Motorkanone configuration firing through the propeller hub
• The design must have used the Fábrica Automotiva Popular 12Y engine acquired from Lavaria to achieve the required performance

The law in Melasia at the time required an open tender to be established, which was done later the same year. While several companies participated, including two Cuthish design bureaus, the only participant to present a prototype in time was the young state-owned aircraft manufacturer Arsenal. Their prototype, named the J 36, was accepted into the air force for evaluation the same year, and underwent series of trials until 1939, when it was officially accepted.

Design features

Description of the J 36 in the Fallish Encyclopedia of 20th Century Aircraft

The J 36 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable undercarriage and a fully-enclosed cockpit. Its construction used both old and new techniques, with the primary structure being constructed in a farely old-fashioned way as a Warren truss with high-tensile mechanically fastened steel longerons and cross-bracing stingers of aluminium. Some bulkheads were constructed from wood. The fuselage was covered by fabric or balsa wood in most places. In later variants, standard wood was used in the place of balsa, and duralumin plates were used to reinforce the structure in critical locations like the tailfin joint with the fuselage, a method that also reduced drag and increased the aerodynamic characteristics of the construction. Above the main longerons, a set of secondary wooden stingers and internal cabling was used to reinforce the structure. The section of the fuselage covering the aircraft's engine was made of a thin steel sheet rather than wood or fabric to with stand the higher temperatures and to ease production and maintenance. The wing used only a single spar and a number of reinforced parts, which was an innovative way of construction that lowered the mass of the aircraft. However, it was quickly found that the construction was not flexible enough and had the tendency to break during harder landings, an issue that required the usage of lighter duralumin alloy as well as the addition of a secondary strut in the cosntruction to increase its strength. This construction allowed the usage of more primitive equipment during the construction phase and also provided the ability to produce field kits that could be shipped to a designated location and assembled there with relative ease. However, the mostly-wooden construction showed the tendency to catch on fire easy and get heavily damaged by large-calibre weapons, which made the J 36 a relatively fragile fighter. The aircraft was equipped with a retractable main landing gear in a tail dragger configuration, with the tailwheel being fixed and amortized with a coil spring, replaced in later variants with a pneumatic cylinder.

J 36 Serie 2 being prepared for duty, 1942

The cockpit was very spacious given the compact size of the aircraft, and was mounted high in the fuselage to give the pilot a better field of view. However, the canopy of the aircraft was relatively small , obscuring visibility on the sides, while the long nose of the aircraft made navigation during taxi, take-off and landing very difficult. The pilot was provided with a rear mirror as well as limited degree of view to the rear due to the construction of the fuselage that created a bulge right behind the cockpit. The aircraft was notorious for its bad field of view, with numerous cases reported of pilots flying into combat with open canopy or even removing the whole structure in field conditions. The cockpit had a complete set of instrumentation , although on the first production aircraft instruments taken from biplane fighters were used. The pilot was provided with a 44 litre main oxygen bottle directly next to the pilot seat as well as 3 additional 8 litre bottles below the seat, with a provision for up to 6 hours of flight on 9,000 m (30,000 ft). Initial variants had no firefighting equipment installed, with automatic CO2 fire extenguisher being added in the engine compartment from Series 3 onwards. The aircraft was equipped with one main 240 litre self-sealing fuel tank right infront of the pilot, and two additional 140 litre self-sealing fuel tanks in the wings for a total of 520 litres of avgas when fully loaded, allowing for a respective range for the time, with a ferry range up to 1,200 km (745 mi). The aircraft was equipeed with a two-way radio located right behind the pilot.

Scheme of the hydraulic system of the J 36 (placeholder)

The J 36 utilized the Fábrica Automotiva Popular 12Y liquid-cooled inline 12-cylinder engine with a "Vee" configuration. Relatively underpowered by early 1940s standards, it was a modern and lightweight design when it was purchased in 1936. Steel tube console construction attached to the firewall supported the 525 kg (1,160 lb) engine while being light and durable, and relatively easy to maintain. Below the engine, an oil radiator was mounted in an opening of the lower part of the engine cowling panels and served as the primary cooling component for the engine lubrication system. Below the pilot and behind the oil radiator, the main water radiator was placed in a box mounting serving the cooling system of the engine. The main water tank was placed directly above the main fuel tank and between the two nose-mounted machine guns. The oil tank and hydraulic pump were located just above the reduction gear on earlier variants, and in front of the motor and just behind the propeller hub in later variants. The lubrication system was equipped with two filters located just after the secondary pump in the engine bed. The aircraft was provided with a relatively simple hydraulic system for the undercarriage retraction mechanism. It consisted of one external gear pump with a flow output of 25 litres per minute driven by the engine via a reduction gear mechanism, two electromagnetic 4/2 direction control valves leading the hydraulic liquid to the two landing gear cylinders, as well as a hydraulic filter located just before the hydraulic reservoir. The maximum pressure of the system was 250 bar (3630 psi).

The initial armament would only consist of the 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon-FF autocannon mounted in the distinctive Motorkanone configuration, with the gun placed between the engine cylinders and the barrel placed to fire trough the propeller hub, with a 60-round drum magazine. The additional armament consisted of two 7.7 mm (.303 cal) machine guns dating from the Great war mounted just in front of the firewall, with provision for 600 rounds per gun. The bulky and outdated small calibre machine guns were viewed as insufficient, and were replaced with the 12.7 mm (.50 cal) machine guns on the production variants, with ammunition boxes providing 200 rounds per gun. As the armament became more and more insufficient in the course of the conflict with Mascylla, several modifications were done, with gun pods mounted under the wings housing two additional 12.7 mm heavy machine guns and even 20 mm autocannons being added during the service career of the aircraft. While the initial modifications lacked the provisions for air-dropped ordnance, bomb holders were added to some versions later on.

The aircraft had respectable flight characteristics by the time of its first flight in 1937. It was one of the few models at the time, and the only one not to be designed and constructed in Berea, to surpass the 400 km/h (200 kn) in a straight level flight. However, by the time of its introduction in the armed forces of Melasia in 1939, it was already showing signs of aging. Nevertheless, it was well-liked by its pilots and was known for being easy to handle. Its primitive construction made it easy to produce and maintain, but the engine had proven to be troublesome, especially with inexperienced ground crews. In its early modifications it was lightweight and thus fairly agile and manoeuvrable in air combat. With the numerous later modifications adding additional weight, it quickly became underpowered and hard to control in flight, especially with additional armament installed. As its characteristics became less satisfying, the war ministry began to explore ideas how to improve or replace it.

Further development

As the conflict with Mascylla progressed, the upgrade of the available J 36 fleet became a priority for the Melasian military. It was recognized that the aircraft was rapidly becoming underpowered. Thus, the need arose to substitute the engine for a more powerful one. The only engine that had superior characteristics to the Y12 at the time was the Cuthish R-75, which was imported in small numbers at the outbreak of the crisis. A redesign of the J 36 in order to accomodate the radial engine was performed in 1941, with the resulting aircraft being accepted into service as the J 42. Unfortunately for the Melasian military, the facility where most of the engines were stored was bomber during a Mascyllary raid in March 1942, leaving only five of them intact. As a result, only five aircraft were converted to the J 42 standard, seeing limited combat service until the end of the crisis. After the end of the hostilities in September 1943 Melasia finally gained the ability to import modern equipment from Cuthland. The opportunity was used to import a large quantity of the most modern Cuthish R-1500 twin-row radial engines and using them in the place of the older R-75. The previous work done on the J 42 project during the crisis helped speed up the process, with the resulting fighter making its maiden flight in June 1945 and being accepted into service in 1947, remaining the standard fighter of the Melasian air force until the mid-1950s.

Operational history

Melasian Crisis

Main article: Melasian Crisis

J 36 conducting a strafing run on Mascyllary landing craft in 1941

The serial production of the aircraft was started in mid-1939, after its official acceptance in the Melasian Air Force. By the end of the same year, the first Melasian air WINGS were equipped with the type, namely the JG 1 to JG 13, JG 17 and JG 22, all of them stationed in Jürgenshafen and Lilleberg. While it was noted that the early production aircraft had some drawbacks, the type was generally liked by its air crews. The reported defects of the initial series were rapidly addressed in the later versions of the aircraft.

By the start of the Melasian Crisis in May 1941, the J 36 had already become the fighter aircarft type in service of the Melasian Air Force. Furthermore, its rapid production made it the most numerous modern aircraft in service of the state. This meant that after the start of hostilities, the J 36 was used not only in its intended role as a fighter, but also in a wide range of other roles, including ground attack, close air support and aerial reconnaissance. In the first days of the conflict, several aircraft were lost during Mascyllary air raids on the Melasian air bases in Jürgenshafen, Braunfliess and Stoschmund. The J 36 played a crucial role in the aerial Battle of Jürgenshafen, where it performed relatively well against some of the older Mascyllary naval aircraft. J 36 fighters of the JG 7, JG 12 and JG 17 escorted several Melasian torpedo bombers during the daring attack on the Mascyllary aircraft carrier MSS König Maximilian on 11 May 1941, one day after the establishment of the naval blockade of Jürgenshafen. J 36 fighters continued to serve as torpedo bomber escorts and also attempted to intercept Mascyllary bombers over the Melasian capital, both with limited success. The initial combat showed issue posed by the light armament of the early series, which was rapidly fixed in the Series 3.

In the late summer of 1941, the type once again found itself carrying out combat operations it was not originally intended t. During the attempted Mascyllary landings at Lilleberg and Neukirch, J 36 fighters of the air force were engaged in strafing runs on low altitude and close air support of the Melasian troops defending the coast. In this position the aircraft were vulnerable to enemy diving attacks from higher altitude, as well as anti-aircraft fire from Mascyllary ships and landing craft. This led to high losses, especially near Neukirch. However, the air support provided by the Melasian Air Force proved to be partially effective, contributing for the defeat of the Mascyllary marines near Lilledel and in lifting the naval blockade of the country's capital city by late 1941.

Mascyllary officers examine the wreck of a J 36 that crush-landed next to the Mascyllary landing site at Braunfließ

One of the type's most famous operations occurred in late October 1942, during the Battle of the Caroline Sea. While parts of the Melasian fleet lured the Mascyllary carrier task force close to the coast near Neukirch, a mixed bomber and fighter air group flew from Manado and managed to catch the Mascyllary fleet by surprise, sinking the second operational aircraft carrier of Mascylla, the MSS Zentaur.

Kenlongese War

Main article: Kenlongese War

Melasian J 47s conducting bombing run on a street in the Kenlongese city of Gi Lang

Following the end of the Melasian Crisis, numerous J 36 aircraft found themselves stationed in the Melasian military bases in Kenlong. Being designed solely as fighters, these aircraft were of little value in the early guerrilla warfare in the eastern parts of the country. On top of that, the formal proclamation of the Kenlongese independence from Melasia meant that these aircraft could not legally engage Kenlongese separatists unless provoked. This, however, did not stop the Melasian government from donating a significant amount of early-model J 36s to the newly-formed Kenlongese state. The Kenlongese military tried to upgrade the aircraft by adding bomb holders under the wings and used the aircraft's limited ammunition supply for strafing runs against the guerrillas.

Following the direct Melasian involvement in the war, upgraded versions of the type, including the J 36EK and later the J 47, were thrown into combat. These models were better suited for low-level close-support, especially in the absence of any adequate anti-aircraft artillery in service of the Kenlongese guerrillas. While showing some success in the early part of the Dulebian involvement in the conflict, the J 36 and its variants began to suffer heavy losses following the start of lend-lease programs from Berean nations to the Kenlongese royalist militias. Most of the J 36s were withdrawn from combat service by 1948, with the improved J 47 serving until the end of the conflict as ground-attack and close air support aircraft until the end of hostilities. In total, more than 130 aircraft were lost during the conflict, with 46 of them flying for the air force of the State of Kenlong.

Aces flying the J 36

Hans-Joachim Scheider, the most effective pilot of the Melasian air force, with 13 recorded air victories

The J 36 was the most mass-produced Melasian fighter in the mid-20th century. As such, it was extensively flown by most of the pilots in the Melasian air force, producing several of the highest-ranked pilots in Melasian history. Hans-Joachim Schneider, with his 13 confirmed air victories during the Melasian Crisis, became the most well-known Melasian pilot and the only one to achieve Ace-In-A-Day. He continued his service during the Kenlongese War, when the Melasian air force met little opposition as the Kenlongese insurgents initially lacked any form of air force. Performing mostly ground attack missions, Schneider was shot down in June 1946 and was captured by royalist forces. He was returned to Melasia during a prisoner exchange after the end of the war, in 1954.

Other top-scoring Melasian pilots flying the J 36 during both the Melasian Crisis and the Kenlongese war included:

• Willy Huber, with 9 aerial victories + 2 unconfirmed during the Melasian Crisis;
• Klaus Feldt, who achieved 7 aerial victories in the initial stage of the Melasian Crisis, becoming the first Melasian flying ace in history;
• Adam Brandt, with 6 aerial victories in the Melasian Crisis and one during the Kenlongese war, flying a modified J 47;
• Fritz Steiner, the only Melasian pilot to achieve the status of a flying ace on the J 42, a modification of the J 36, with only five aircraft converted. Scored five victories during the Melasian crisis;
• Ernst Kabel, the only Melasian flying ace flying the J 36 to achieve all his aerial victories in the skies of Kenlong, with 5 aerial victories

Variants

A J 36 Series 3 with Melasian pilots posing next to it, 1942

J 36 Serie 0

Pre-production run of 5 aircraft. The Serie 0 was completed with the earlier Fábrica Automotiva Popular 12Ycrs and two 7.7 mm machine guns in the nose. The construction used plywood as its skin everywhere except for the engine cowling. The aircraft was equipped with a wooden two-blade propeller without pitch control. The variant first flew in September 1937. All 5 aircraft were stored in at the Arsenal factory for various tests. Three were destroyed by Mascyllary bombing runs during the Melasian crisis, with the other two used for spare part cannibalizing until eventually being scrapped.

J 36 Serie 1

The first production variant, with several major and minor changes implemented to various systems of the aircraft. Those included, but were not limited to:

- The implementation of aluminium alloy on sections of the fuselage skin to strenghten the construction;
- The usage of the more advanced Fábrica Automotiva Popular 12Ydrs engine;
- Wingspan increase by 24 mm (9.45 in);
- The implementation of a three-blade, all-metal variable-pitch propeller;
- The substitution of the two 7.7 mm machine guns by the locally produced copy of the M2 0.50 cal. machine gun;
- Additional oil cooler in the nose of the aircraft;
The Serie 1 was produced between 1938 and 1941, with the variant being the most numerous in Melasian service at the start of the Melasian crisis. With subpar characteristics even by 1939 standards, it was quickly replaced by more modern variants, with 65 aircraft produced by April 1941.

J 36 Serie 2

Noting the numerous drawbacks found after the first months of service in the Melasian air force, Arsenal attempted an upgrade to the J 36 by installing a more reliable and lighter hand pump for the main landing gear as an emergency measure, an additional 80 L fuel tank under the pilot, and provisions for an additional external fuel tank for long range operations. Most of the radio equipment and instruments were replaced, as the earlier variants were equipped with Mascyllary instrumets taken from earlier biplane fighters in service of the Melasian air force and were not suited for the speeds of the J 36. Additionally, most components of Mascyllary origin were replaced with identical ones produced locally or imported from Cuthland, the last Berean power to not have imposed sanctions on Melasia by 1939. 32 aircraft of the type were completed between late 1939 and mid-1941.

J 36 Serie 3

The main production variant of the J 36, with 196 produced between 1940 and 1943. The aircraft featured a modernized 12Y-45 modification of the Fábrica Automotiva Popular engine, supplied just prior to the imposement of economic sanctions by Lavaria in late 1938 but too heavy to be installed on earlier variants. The third series received an upgrade in the armament as well, with the ammunition boxes for the nose machine guns replaced with bigger ones, carrying 500 rounds each. The aircraft also received two underwing gunpods carrying an additional set of two .50 cal machine guns with 500 rounds per gun. The cockpit canopy was replaced with a new one that provided better visibility. The engine received ethanol injection system, which further inreased its performance, while the flaps were modified to the fowler type. With the improvements of the powerplant, the aircraft started to perform equally to its Mascyllary counterparts and was well-liked by its crews.

J 36V

An attempt to completely redesign the J 36 and upgrade both its performance and construction. The aircraft received a lengthened fuselage with the distinctive V-shaped tail. The engine was moved behind the pilot and the whole set of armament was placed in the nose. The aircraft was armed with 4 0.5 cal machine guns and a 20 mm autocannon, with 500 rounds per machine gun and 200 rounds for the autocannon, which was of Cuthish origin. The aircraft received bigger fuel tanks in the wings and provision for external bomb load below the wings, with the ability to carry up to two 100 kg (220 lbs) bombs. Difficulties with stability and the complex structure made the project infeasable and it was therefore cancelled. 6 airframes were constructed.

J 36 Serie 4

An ad-hoc upgrade to the third series, with provisions for two 100 kg (220 lbs) bombs added under the wings and a new water radiator mounted under the pilot.

J 36EK

With the EK standing short for Experimentelle Kanonen, the J 36EK modification was an attempt to improve the armament of the aircraft to keep it up to date with the new Mascyllary aircraft types used on the Melasian theatre. The J 36EK received two underwing gunpods and two of the newer Cuthish 20 mm autocannons in them. The added weight was over 250kg, which severy limited the performance of the aircraft. It was decided to remove the original nose-mounted Motorkanone and leave only the two heavy machine guns. 50 of these aircraft were produced between 1942 and 1944. Their performance was severely lacking against the Mascyllary naval air forces during the Melasian crisis, but they exceeded later during the Kenlongese civil war as ground attack aircraft. Some aircraft later would receive new gunpods with four additional 0.5 cal machine guns instead of the 20 mm autocannons, as well as one bomb rack on the belly with the ability to carry up to a 500 kg (1100 lbs) bomb. The lack of actual air forces and anti-air armament of the Kenlongese guerrillas meant that the reduced performance of the aircraft with all additional hardware installed was not critical. The type was redesignated as the J 36K Kanonenvogel in 1945. 25 of the aircraft remained in service until as late as 1961 for anti-guerrilla aerial opeations and as gunships.

Other variants

Main article: Arsenal J 42

The third converted J 42 outside the factory in Stoschmund, February 1942

J 42

After the initial hostilities between the Melasian state and Mascylla began in May 1941, officials from Melasia and Cuthland signed a contract for the delivery of 250 of the modern R-75 radial engines, with the provisions made for future delivery of the technical documentation and production experts to Melasia to allow for local production of the type. The first batch of 50 engines was delivered in June 1941 under the cover of Cuthish humanitarian aid convoy. The second batch, as well as the documentation and some of the required equipment for the production had to be delivered two weeks later, but the rising risks as well as the worsening relations between Cuthland and Mascylla forced the Cuthish government to prohibit any exports of military hardware. The R-75 had superior characteristics to the older Y12 available in Melasia, but had the major problem of being a radial air-cooled engine. This required a major upgrade to the construction of the J 36, which was the only Melasian aircraft available to potentially mount the new engine. Between mid-1941 and early 1942, the J 36 construction was significantly redesigned in order to accommodate the R-75, and the first five J 36s to be converted joined the air force for evaluation in February 1942 as the J 42. The usage of a radial engine required an additional redesign of the armament scheme, with the 20 mm Motorkanone being removed as it could no longer be used. Instead, an additional third 12.7 mm machine gun was added in the nose, and two 20 mm guns were mounted in the wings of the aircraft. The J 42 proved to have superior characteristics to most Mascyllary carrier-born aircraft and was the first truly high-altitude fighter to join the Melasian air force. However, in March 1942 the Mascyllary air force attacked the military facilities in Jürgenshafen, destroying most of the stored R-75 engines and heavily damaging the rest. As there were neither spare parts nor the ability to locally produce the engines, further work on the J 42 was halted, with the five constructed aircraft joining the air force and performing their duties until the end of the conflict. The work done on the J 42 would later be utilized on the J 46, a new fighter designed from scratch after the end of the crisis.

Operators

Melasia

• Melasian Air Force operated the type since its introduction in 1939 up until 1961, and used it in the Melasian crisis and during the Kenlongese civil war

State of Kenlong

• The Kenlongese State Air Force received 56 aircraft of the Series 2 and Series 3 type after the its formal declaration of independence in September 1944. Most of the aircraft received were lost in the Kenlongese war to enemy action, with several serving the Kingdom of Kenlong after the war's end.

Mascylla

• Several aircraft were captured during the Melasian Crisis and shipped to Mascylla for evaluation and trials

Survivors

Replica of a J 36 Serie 3 Falke in the Military History Museum in Jürgenshaven, showing its V12 engine

Specifications (J 36 Serie 3)

3-view drawing of J 36 Serie 1 Falke

Data from The J 36 type certification sheet

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 7.40 m (24 ft 3 in)
• Wingspan: 9.36 m (30 ft 9 in)
• Height: 2.57 m (8 ft 5 in)
• Wing area: 16 m² (170 sq ft)
• Airfoil: NACA 63(2)-615
• Empty weight: 1,360 kg (2,998 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 2,460 kg (5,423 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 440 kg (520 L avgas)
• Powerplant: 1 × Fábrica Automotiva Popular 12Y V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine
  

619 kW (830 hp) for take-off at 2,520 rpm at sea level

567 kW (760 hp) rated power at 2,400 rpm at sea level

641 kW (860 hp) rated power at 2,400 rpm at 3,150 m (10,335 ft)

• Specific fuel consumption: 0.265 kg/kWh (0.436 lb/(hp⋅h))
• Specific oil consumption: 0.008 kg/kWh (0.013 lb/(hp⋅h))

• Propellers: 3-bladed variable-pitch propeller, 3 m (9 ft 10 in) diameter
  

Performance

• Maximum speed: 442 km/h (275 mph; 239 kn) at 1,500 m (4,900 ft)
• Cruise speed: 380 km/h (236 mph; 205 kn) at 1,500 m (4,900 ft)
• Stall speed: 120 km/h (75 mph; 65 kn) without flaps
• Range: 1,200 km (746 mi; 648 nmi) at 66% power
• Combat range: 600 km (373 mi; 324 nmi)
• Endurance: 2 hours 30 minutes (average combat mission)
• Service ceiling: 8,000 m (26,000 ft)
• Time to altitude:
  

5,000 m (16,404 ft) in 8 minutes 46 seconds

• Wing loading: 154 kg/m² (32 lb/sq ft)
• Power/mass: 2.95 kg/kW (4.85 lb/hp)
• Take-off run to 8 m (26 ft): 320 m (1,050 ft)
• Landing run from 8 m (26 ft): 420 m (1,378 ft)

Armament

• Guns:
  

• 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) Oerlikon FF cannon (60 rounds)
• 2× 12.7 mm (0.500 in) Arsenal M2 machine guns (250 rpg)

See also

Related development
Arsenal J 42
Arsenal J 47

Further reading

• The J 36 preliminary design calculations