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RWD (aircraft manufacturer)
Encyclopedia
RWD was a Polish
aircraft
construction bureau active between 1928
and 1939
. It started as a team of three young designers, Stanisław Rogalski, Stanisław Wigura and Jerzy Drzewiecki
, whose names formed the RWD acronym.
They started work while studying at Warsaw University of Technology
. In December 1925, with some other student constructors, they set up workshops at the Aviation Section of Mechanics Students' Club (Sekcja Lotnicza Koła Mechaników Studentów), where they manufactured their first designs. From 1926 they designed several aircraft alone (Drzewiecki JD-2
and WR-1), in 1928
they joined forces as one team, starting with RWD-1
sportsplane. Apart from building planes, J. Drzewiecki was a test pilot of their designs, while S. Wigura flew as a mechanic in competitions. In 1930 the team was moved to new workshops at Okęcie
district in Warsaw, near the Okęcie aerodrome, today's Warsaw International Airport, founded by the LOPP
paramilitary organization. On 11 September 1932, Stanisław Wigura died in an air crash in the RWD-6
during a storm, but the RWD name continued to be used for new designs (according to a popular story, the letter W now de facto stood for engineer Jerzy Wędrychowski, but he was not a designer). In 1933
, Rogalski, Drzewiecki and Wędrychowski founded the company Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze
(DWL, Experimental Aeronautical Works) in Warsaw, which became a manufacturer of further RWD aircraft. Apart from Rogalski and Drzewiecki, in a construction bureau worked designers Tadeusz Chyliński
, Bronisław Żurakowski, Leszek Dulęba and Andrzej Anczutin and several engineers, including Henryk Millicer
.
At first, the RWD team designed and built light sportsplanes. Early designs RWD-2
and RWD-4
were built in small series and used in Polish sports aviation, including their debut at the Challenge 1930
international contest. Their next designs performed particularly well in competitions - the RWD-6
won the Challenge 1932
and RWD-9
s won the Challenge 1934
international contest. The sportsplane RWD-5
was the lightest plane to fly across the Atlantic in 1933. Three types saw mass production: the RWD-8, which became the Polish Air Force basic trainer, the RWD-13
touring plane and the RWD-14 Czapla
reconnaissance plane (1938).
Other important designs were the RWD-10
aerobatic plane (1933), RWD-17
aerobatic-trainer plane (1937) and RWD-21
light sport plane (1939). World War II
prevented further development and serial production of later RWD designs, and put an end to the RWD construction bureau and the DWL workshops.
Notes:
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
construction bureau active between 1928
1928 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1928:- Events :* The Soviet Unions First Five-Year Plan begins, placing a high priority on the construction of new aircraft factories...
and 1939
1939 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1939:-Events:* Kawasaki Heavy Industries transfers its aircraft engine production business to its subsidiary, the Kawasaki Aircraft Engineering Company Ltd....
. It started as a team of three young designers, Stanisław Rogalski, Stanisław Wigura and Jerzy Drzewiecki
Jerzy Drzewiecki
Jerzy Drzewiecki was a Polish aeroplane constructor, an engineer and one of the founders of the RWD construction bureau, along with Rogalski and Wigura. Among his most notable constructions is the RWD-7 aeroplane....
, whose names formed the RWD acronym.
History
Warsaw University of Technology
The Warsaw University of Technology is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland, and one of the largest in Central Europe. It employs 2,453 teaching faculty, with 357 professors . The student body numbers 36,156 , mostly full-time. There are 17 faculties covering almost all fields of...
. In December 1925, with some other student constructors, they set up workshops at the Aviation Section of Mechanics Students' Club (Sekcja Lotnicza Koła Mechaników Studentów), where they manufactured their first designs. From 1926 they designed several aircraft alone (Drzewiecki JD-2
Drzewiecki JD-2
-See also:-External links:**...
and WR-1), in 1928
1928 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1928:- Events :* The Soviet Unions First Five-Year Plan begins, placing a high priority on the construction of new aircraft factories...
they joined forces as one team, starting with RWD-1
RWD-1
-See also:-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 -External links:*...
sportsplane. Apart from building planes, J. Drzewiecki was a test pilot of their designs, while S. Wigura flew as a mechanic in competitions. In 1930 the team was moved to new workshops at Okęcie
Okecie
Okęcie is the largest neighbourhood of the Włochy district of Warsaw, Poland.It is the location of Warsaw Chopin Airport and the PZL Warszawa-Okęcie aircraft works, and home to the Okęcie Warszawa professional association football club....
district in Warsaw, near the Okęcie aerodrome, today's Warsaw International Airport, founded by the LOPP
Lopp
Lopp may refer to:*Michael Lopp, represented by the character Rands in the webcomic Jerkcity*William Thomas Lopp, pioneer missionary in Alaska around the end of the 19th century, active in Native American affairs in the United States...
paramilitary organization. On 11 September 1932, Stanisław Wigura died in an air crash in the RWD-6
RWD-6
-See also:-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977...
during a storm, but the RWD name continued to be used for new designs (according to a popular story, the letter W now de facto stood for engineer Jerzy Wędrychowski, but he was not a designer). In 1933
1933 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1933:- Events :* The United States Coast Guard requests authorization to construct its first cutters with a capability of carrying aircraft.* Tokyo conducts it first blackout exercise....
, Rogalski, Drzewiecki and Wędrychowski founded the company Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze
Doswiadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze
Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze was the Polish aircraft manufacturer, active in 1933-1939. It was a home of the RWD construction team and manufactured aircraft under a brand RWD.-History:...
(DWL, Experimental Aeronautical Works) in Warsaw, which became a manufacturer of further RWD aircraft. Apart from Rogalski and Drzewiecki, in a construction bureau worked designers Tadeusz Chyliński
Tadeusz Chylinski
Tadeusz Chylinski – was a Polish airplane designer and constructor, a researcher at the Institute of Aviation in Warsaw. Specialist strength of aircraft structures.-Before World War II:...
, Bronisław Żurakowski, Leszek Dulęba and Andrzej Anczutin and several engineers, including Henryk Millicer
Henry Millicer
Henry K. Millicer, born Henryk Kazimierz Milicer , was a Polish-Australian aircraft designer and pilot....
.
RWD-2
-See also:-References:* Glass, Andrzej: Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939 , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p. 286-288 -External links:*...
and RWD-4
RWD-4
|-See also:-References:* Glass, Andrzej: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 -External links:*...
were built in small series and used in Polish sports aviation, including their debut at the Challenge 1930
Challenge 1930
The International Touring Competition in 1930 was the second FAI international touring aircraft contest, that took place between July 18 and August 8, 1930 in Berlin, Germany. Four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviation events in pre-war Europe....
international contest. Their next designs performed particularly well in competitions - the RWD-6
RWD-6
-See also:-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977...
won the Challenge 1932
Challenge 1932
The Challenge 1932 was the third FAI International Tourist Plane Contest , that took place between 12 and August 28, 1932 in Berlin, Germany. The four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviation events in pre-war Europe.-Overview:...
and RWD-9
RWD-9
The RWD 9 was a Polish sports plane of 1934, constructed by the RWD team.-Development:The aircraft was a further development of the RWD 6 - the winner of the IIIrd Challenge de Tourisme International Challenge 1932 international tourist aircraft contest...
s won the Challenge 1934
Challenge 1934
The Challenge 1934 was the fourth and last FAI International Tourist Plane Contest , that took place between August 28 and September 16, 1934 in Warsaw, Poland. The four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviation events in pre-war Europe...
international contest. The sportsplane RWD-5
RWD-5
|-See also:-References:* , retrieved on 2008-07-06.* Glass, Andrzej: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977...
was the lightest plane to fly across the Atlantic in 1933. Three types saw mass production: the RWD-8, which became the Polish Air Force basic trainer, the RWD-13
RWD-13
The RWD-13 was a Polish touring plane of 1935, three-seater high-wing monoplane, designed by the RWD team. It was the biggest commercial success of the RWD.-Development:...
touring plane and the RWD-14 Czapla
RWD-14 Czapla
|-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 -See also:...
reconnaissance plane (1938).
Other important designs were the RWD-10
RWD-10
-See also:-References:* Glass, Andrzej: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p. 308-311 * Cynk, Jerzy B.. “Polish Aircraft 1893–1939”. London, Putnam. 1971. ISBN 0 370 00085 4...
aerobatic plane (1933), RWD-17
RWD-17
-See also:-References:* Glass, Andrzej: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p. 323-326 -External links:* and photos and drawings at Ugolok Neba site...
aerobatic-trainer plane (1937) and RWD-21
RWD-21
|-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p.322-323 -See also:-External links:*...
light sport plane (1939). World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
prevented further development and serial production of later RWD designs, and put an end to the RWD construction bureau and the DWL workshops.
List of RWD designs
| Design | | First flight | | Type | | Seats | | No. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RWD-1 RWD-1 -See also:-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 -External links:*... |
1928 | sports high-wing, 1 engine | 2 | 1 |
| RWD-2 RWD-2 -See also:-References:* Glass, Andrzej: Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939 , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p. 286-288 -External links:*... |
1929 | sports high-wing, 1 engine | 2 | 4 |
| RWD-3 RWD-3 -See also:-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p. 288-289... |
1930 | sports high-wing, 1 engine | 2 | 1 |
| RWD-4 RWD-4 |-See also:-References:* Glass, Andrzej: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 -External links:*... |
1930 | sports high-wing, 1 engine | 2 | 9 |
| RWD-5 RWD-5 |-See also:-References:* , retrieved on 2008-07-06.* Glass, Andrzej: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977... |
1931 | sports high-wing, 1 engine | 2 | 20 |
| RWD-6 RWD-6 -See also:-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977... |
1932 | sports high-wing, 1 engine | 2 | 3 |
| RWD-7 RWD-7 -See also:-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977... |
1931 | sports high-wing, 1 engine 1 | 2 | 1 |
| RWD-8 | 1933 | primary trainer high-wing, 1 engine | 2 | ~ 550 |
| RWD-9 RWD-9 The RWD 9 was a Polish sports plane of 1934, constructed by the RWD team.-Development:The aircraft was a further development of the RWD 6 - the winner of the IIIrd Challenge de Tourisme International Challenge 1932 international tourist aircraft contest... |
1933 | sports high-wing, 1 engine | 4 | 8 |
| RWD-10 RWD-10 -See also:-References:* Glass, Andrzej: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p. 308-311 * Cynk, Jerzy B.. “Polish Aircraft 1893–1939”. London, Putnam. 1971. ISBN 0 370 00085 4... |
1933 | aerobatics high-wing, 1 engine | 1 | 23 |
| RWD-11 RWD-11 |-See also:-References:* Taylor, J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions: London. p. 29* Cynk, Jerzy B.. “Polish Aircraft 1893–1939”. London, Putnam. 1971. ISBN 0 370 00085 4-External links:... |
1936 | passenger low-wing, 2 engines | 2+6 | 1 |
| RWD-12 | (unfinished) | observation plane high wing, 1 engine 2 | 2 | 0 |
| RWD-13 RWD-13 The RWD-13 was a Polish touring plane of 1935, three-seater high-wing monoplane, designed by the RWD team. It was the biggest commercial success of the RWD.-Development:... |
1935 | sports and touring high-wing, 1 engine | 3 | ~100 |
| RWD-14 Czapla RWD-14 Czapla |-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 -See also:... |
1935 | reconnaissance aircraft Reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft is a manned military aircraft designed, or adapted, to carry out aerial reconnaissance.-History:The majority of World War I aircraft were reconnaissance designs... , high-wing, 1 engine |
2 | 65 3 |
| RWD-15 RWD-15 -See also:-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p. 320-322 -External links:* at site... |
1937 | touring high-wing, 1 engine | 5 | 6 (+10 unfinished) |
| RWD-16 RWD-16 |-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p.322-323 -External links:*... |
1936 | sports low-wing, 1 engine | 2 | 1 |
| RWD-16bis | 1938 | sports low-wing, 1 engine | 2 | 2 |
| RWD-17 RWD-17 -See also:-References:* Glass, Andrzej: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p. 323-326 -External links:* and photos and drawings at Ugolok Neba site... |
1937 | trainer-aerobatics high-wing, 1 engine | 2 | 24 |
| RWD-17W RWD-17 -See also:-References:* Glass, Andrzej: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p. 323-326 -External links:* and photos and drawings at Ugolok Neba site... |
1938 | trainer floatplane Floatplane A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water... , 1 engine |
2 | 6 4 |
| RWD-18 RWD-18 The RWD-18 was a four/five seat STOL utility aircraft designed and built in Poland from 1936.- Development :DWL studied a small twin-engined STOL utility aircraft as a private venture due to the lack of official support, hoping to kindle new markets in multi-engined, utility and business... |
(19395) | touring and ambulance high-wing, 2 engines | 5 | (1 unfinished) |
| RWD-19 RWD-19 -References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p. 327-328 -External links:**... |
1938 | sports low-wing, 1 engine | 2 | 1 |
| RWD-20 | 1937 | experimental touring high-wing, 1 engine 6 | 2 | 1 |
| RWD-21 RWD-21 |-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p.322-323 -See also:-External links:*... |
1939 | sports and touring low-wing, 1 engine | 2 | 4 (+10 unfinished) |
| RWD-22 | (late 1940) | torpedo floatplane project, 2 engines | 3 | 0 |
| RWD-23 RWD-23 |-See also:-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 , no ISBN-External links:*... |
1938 | trainer low-wing, 1 engine 7 | 2 | 1 |
| RWD-24 | (late 1940) | light bomber project, 2 engines 8 | 3 | 0 |
| RWD-25 | (1939) | low-wing, fixed-wheels fighter project, 1 engine | 1 | 0 |
| RWD-26 | (late 1940) | trainer low-wing project, 1 engine | 2 | 0 |
Notes:
- Built as a record plane, it set off after less than 20 metres runway.
- Derived from RWD-8.
- Produced by the LWSLWS (aircraft manufacturer)LWS - Lubelska Wytwórnia Samolotów was the Polish aerospace manufacturer, located in Lublin, created in 1936 of Plage i Laśkiewicz works and producing aircraft between 1936 and 1939.-History:...
, all commissioned by Polish Airforce. - Out of 125 ordered by the Polish Army (120) and Polish Navy (5).
- First flight planned in December 1939; it was one of the first two engine civilian planes in the world.
- Based on a RWD-9RWD-9The RWD 9 was a Polish sports plane of 1934, constructed by the RWD team.-Development:The aircraft was a further development of the RWD 6 - the winner of the IIIrd Challenge de Tourisme International Challenge 1932 international tourist aircraft contest...
prototype, designed to test a 3-wheel gear for the RWD-18RWD-18The RWD-18 was a four/five seat STOL utility aircraft designed and built in Poland from 1936.- Development :DWL studied a small twin-engined STOL utility aircraft as a private venture due to the lack of official support, hoping to kindle new markets in multi-engined, utility and business...
. - Designed as a successor of the RWD-8.
- Land-based version of the RWD-22.
External links
- RWD aeroplanes
- History of RWD and DWL works (Polish and French)
- List of RWD constructions (Polish)
- RWD-6 Replica Project