As a small landlocked country between belligerent powers, Switzerland has recognized its neutrality and the inviolability of its territory during the congress of Vienna in 1815 following the Napoleonic wars. Faced with the rise of the hegemonic ambitions of the regimes of Hitler and Mussolini, Switzerland decides nevertheless to arm itself more. In the early 1930s, the Swiss Air Force aligned more modern aircraft with the manufacture of foreign aircraft such as Dewoitine D-27 and Fokker C.V and the EKW C-35 from Switzerland. On the eve of the Second World War, Switzerland also acquired Messerschmitt Bf-109. At the outbreak of the conflict, however, the Swiss Air Force had only 86 fighters and 121 reconnaissance and air support aircraft: 56 Dewoitine D-27, 38 Messerschmitt Bf-109, 60 Fokker CV and 78 EKW C -35. These gaps were partly filled in 1940 by the purchase of an additional 89 Bf-109 and the arrival of 74 Morane-Saulnier D-3800 fighters. The D-3800, which was built under license by EidgenössischeKonstruktionswerkstätten (EKW), is an improved version of the Morane-Saulnier 406 of French design. The blitzkrieg success in Poland also confirms the need to have a bomber fighter capable of successfully attacking the armored vehicles.
This role will fall to the EKW C-36, an aircraft that was initially rejected by Swiss officials. The C-36 was designed in 1934 by Mr. Thouret, engineer at EKW. At the same time, another EKW team is drawing up plans for the C-35, a biplane similar to the Fokker C.V, but with superior performance to the German aircraft. The Swiss government favored C-35 in 1936, considering it the least risky option given the innovative concept of C-36. However, the C-36 project was revived in 1938 and the prototype was launched in 1939.
From the initial flights of the first prototype C-3601, recognizable at its ends of rounded wings and the fixed landing gear, the new plane demonstrates the accuracy of the performances envisaged by its designer, but the pilots deplored the lack of power of the Hispano engine -Suiza 12 YCrs (860 CH). In August 1939, the aircraft was delivered to the Swiss Air Force for further testing. During one of these flights, the wing starts to vibrate and the aircraft crashes to the ground after the pilot has skipped a parachute. Propelled by a Hispano-Suiza 12 Y-51 of 1000 HP and with a reinforced wing, the second prototype C-3602 leaves the workshops in 1940. Satisfied with the aircraft, the Swiss Air Force orders a dozen copies which enter Service as of 1942.
The first version of the C-3603 produced in series is equipped with the Hispano-Suiza12 Y-51 gun engine equipped with a 20mm Oerlikon gun pulling through the propeller hub. It has a retractable landing gear as well as two 7.5mm machine guns in the wings and two other machine-gun 7.5mm machine-guns at the rear of the pilot. Apart from the bi-drift, which leaves a clearer field of view for the machine gunner, the EKW C-3603 looks similar to the famous Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 and receives the nickname "Sturmovik Helvete" . Characterized by a smaller wingspan, square wing tips and other modifications to improve performance, version C-3603-1, will be made to 148 specimens that are delivered in 1943 and 1944. In 1948, six new C-3603 -1 are made with unused spare parts kept to repair appliances damaged during the conflict.
As the C-3603-1 is an easy to fly aircraft, it is quickly used for multiple tasks. As early as 1945, a C-3603 was tested as a target tug for anti-aircraft artillery. It is equipped with an electric winch, manipulated by the observer seated in the rear seat, which allows to move away or to bring together an air handle fixed to the end of a steel rope. The experiment is conclusive and 20 other appliances, called Schlepp (German tug) are put into service.
The C-3603-1 patrol the Swiss borders until 1952, when they were gradually replaced by the DH 100 Vampire. The Vampire is, however, poorly adapted to the role of "armor-killer" and an alternative is necessary. Equipped with the 1250 HP Saurer YS-2 engine and two additional 20 mm cannons in the wings, the C-3604 flew for the first time in 1954. It is built at 12, but its use is limited To problems of reliability of the engine. Program C-3604 was finally abandoned in 1956, the same year as the first flight of the FFA P-16 ground attack aircraft, also of Swiss design.The C-3603-1 transformed into a tug of targets continue to serve beyond the 1950s, but Hispano-Suiza engines are starting to get old. As the C-3603-1 cells are still in very good condition, the EKW aircraft manufacturer proposes to equip them with a Lycoming T53-L-7 turboprop of 1,100 HP. Since the latter are lighter than the original engines, the nose of the device is extended by 1.8 meters, so as not to shift the center of gravity. The tail unit is equipped with a third vertical stabilizer and a hydraulic system replaces the old winch. The first flight of the C-3605 took place in 1968. With the prototype demonstrating satisfactory performance, another 23 C-3603-1s were transformed into C-3605 Schlepp. After serving until 1980, it was not until 1987 that they were finally replaced by other aircraft. The long nose of the EKW C-3605, later named F + W C-3605 (EKW becoming Farner-Werke as of 1972) earned him the nicknames of "anteater alpine" and "zebra" due to his livery Of yellow and black lines.
In the second world conflict, Switzerland established an impressive anti-aircraft defense system in order to protect its territory against any intrusion by belligerent countries. At the end of the conflict, the Swiss Air Force was in the front line of 10 squadrons of EKW C-3603, 20 with Morane-Saulnier D-3800 and 9 with Bf109. Responding firmly to any violation of its airspace as early as 1940, Swiss fighters fell 11 German aircraft at the price of three of theirs. Another Swiss pilot was killed in 1944 by the gunner of an American bomber. In total, 244 foreign aircraft are forced to land or are shot down by the Swiss Air Force interceptors and the DCA during the conflict. Although the EKW C-36 did not have to attack the Nazi and Allied armored vehicles, the "Sturmovik Helvete" still contributed greatly to the protection of Swiss airspace and, in another role less Glorious but still essential, pursued his career for nearly half a century.
Specifications :
Crew 2
Length 10,23 m
Wingspan 15.10 m
Height 3.29 m
Wing area 32.4 m²
Empty weight 2272 kg
Max. Load capacity 1680 kg
Max. Flight weight 3952 kg
Drive Hispano-Suiza 12Y-51 with 1000 hp
Max speed 476 km / h
Rate of climb 10.4 m / s
Area load 122 kg / m²
Service ceiling ; 8700 m
Range : 680 km
Endurance : 2 h
Armament : a 20mm engine canon,
4 x 7.5 mm MG in the wings,
Two wing racks for carrying 400 kg of bombs
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