Polish Wings

[ezgo394]

This is amazing! It is great to see all of these unknown aircraft (at least to me). Truly superb! Keep up the great work!

[klagldsf]

Yes, more as they come along please.

[eswube]

We broadcast our series every friday afternoon (Central European Time).
Thank You Mates! There will be more of them.

[Trojan]

The amount of pure awesomeness in this thread is so huge it hurts

[Novice]

Excellent thread. I can't any more superlatives to those that had already been said. Superb work my friend.

[eswube]

@Novice, Trojan - Thank You!

And now let's continue with the usual stuff...

Medwecki (1927-1939)
Józef Medwecki worked as a technician in the Wielkopolska Wytwórnia Samolotów (WWS, Greater Poland Aircraft Manufacturing) in the design bureau headed by Ryszard Bartel (known mainly as a designer of military training aircraft). Under Bartel's guidance, between 1926 and 1927 he designed and built his first plane HL-2 Haroldek (named after Medwecki's favorite actor, American comedian Harold Lloyd). Next, together with Zygmunt Nowakowski he made a project of a large twin-engined airplane MN-2 intended to be be either a bomber or a passenger plane (hopefully to be presented sometime later), in 1928 they built MN-3 sports airplane for four people with unusual seating arrangement and in 1930 small MN-5 sports-trainer for a contest organized by Liga Obrony Powietrznej i Przeciwgazowej (LOPP, League of Air and Anti-gas Defense). In early 1930s Medwecki moved to Podlaska Wytwórnia Samolotów (PWS) in Biała Podlaska, where, during winter 1932-1933, he modified MN-3 into two seater (and re-engined it) designated MN-4. Later Medwecki worked for a while for Plage i Laśkiewicz in Lublin, but returned to PWS after it's nationalization (in 1935) working there mainly on military aircraft. In 1939 he built M-9 sports airplane, that happened to be the last aircraft of that class built in Poland before war. After the war broke out he was evacuated to France, where he worked for SNCASE, and later in Great Britain and Canada, working, among others, for De Havilland and tractor manufacturer Massey-Fergusson.

Poland, Medwecki HL-2 Haroldek, MN-3/4, MN-5, M-9





Zakłady Mechaniczne Plage i Laśkiewicz (Lublin, 1920-1935)
Although Zakłady Mechaniczne Plage i Laśkiewicz in Lublin were producing mostly military aircraft (with several ventures towards passenger planes), they made also some efforts towards sports aviation. Lublin R.XII was a prototype of sports aircraft, largely based a scaled-down Lublin R.XI design. First flown in 1930, it was somewhat overweight and it's performance suffered accordingly, so in the end it made just few flights.

Poland, Lublin R.XII


LKL (1928-1933)

LKL was acronym for Lubelski Klub Lotniczy (Lublin Aviation Club) than was a hobbystic affiliate organization of the Zakłady Mechaniczne Plage i Laśkiewicz in Lublin. In the 1928 LKL built Jerzy Dąbrowski's DUS-III Ptapta plane and two years later it made it's first own-designed plane LKL-2. Two, slightly different planes of thes type were made - LKL-2bis (actually the first one) and LKL-2, although LKL-2 burned down during the first take-off attempt. In 1932 LKL-4 plane was built and year later its improved version with radial engine LKL-5.

Poland, LKL-2, LKL-4/5



PWS

Podlaska Wytwórnia Samolotów (PWS, Podlasie Aircraft Factory) in Biała Podlaska was one of pre-war Poland's most important airplane manufacturers. It was created in 1923 and in 1925 it started license-production of French planes for military aviation. At the same time it opened it's own design bureau. PWS was a major supplier of military trainers (both of own design and produced under license), but also designed (and produced) some combat planes, as well as sport planes and prototypes of passenger aircraft. In 1932 PWS was nationalized and in 1936 subordinated to PZL (see below), though the brand name was retained. Luftwaffe air raid on 4 september 1939 destroyed about 70% of factory and rest was robbed by Red Army when it entered that territories after 17 september 1939.

PWS-3 was first sports plane of this manufacturer, first flown in 1927. Total of two were built. Also a military observation version was planned.

Poland, PWS-3


Light monoplane PWS-4 was first flown in 1928. Although a generally decent design, because of being single-seater it found no buyers and therefore only one was made.

Poland, PWS-4


PWS-8 was a prototype sports plane, first flown in 1930. Never entered production.

Poland, PWS-8


PWS-50 was a two-seater follow-on to PWS-4 and was first flown in 1930. It took part in several sports airplanes' contests (actually - most of these sport planes did) and was ultimately crashed in 1933.

Poland, PWS-50


PWS-51 was another design of 1930. It's history mirrored that of PWS-50, and it too ended in a crash, only year later - in 1934.

Poland, PWS-51


PWS-52 was also first flown in 1930 as a plane for contests, raids and long-range flights. In 1931 a flight around Poland was made (1755km in 12 hours 35 minutes) and to Thessaloniki and back (2700km), but plans for other long-range flights (including flight around the world) were ultimately dropped. Plane was used for recreational flying until 1939.

Poland, PWS-52


PWS-Stemal VII was a never-realized project of an all-metal airliner of 1927 by Stefan Malinowski. Initially Polska Linja Lotnicza "Aerolot" wanted to start it's production in their workshops as a replacement for Junkers F-13, but this task exceeded their capabilities. PWS got interested in the project but costs and dificulties of making an all-metal plane in a factory that so far produced only wooden planes led to cancellation of the project.

Poland, PWS-Stemal VII


PZL

Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze (PZL, lit. State Aviational Works) in Warsaw were created in 1928 from Centralne Warsztaty Lotnicze (CWL, Central Aviational Workshops) that existed since 1918. Their main purpose was to build military aircraft (which they did, in large variety), but they have also designed some civilian aircraft on state-sponsored programs. Shortly before the war (in 1938) the construction of second factory (much larger), in Mielec, was started and followed in impressive speed, allowing some parts of it to undertake production already in mid-1939. In september 1939 Warsaw factory was significantly damaged, but later partially repaired by Germans and together with Mielec factory used as repair depot. From the war both factories emerged heavily damaged and without most of the equipment (first robbed by retreating Germans, and what remained, by advancing Soviets), yet they formed the basis for the reconstruction of Polish aeronautical industry in the post-war years.

In the years 1927-1929 in Poland first (formally organized, and promoted by the state) Aero Clubs were formed, yet they lacked the airplanes for their operations. To meet these ends, Ministry of Communications and Liga Obrony Powietrznej i Przeciwgazowej (LOPP, League of Air and Anti-gas Defense) ordered in PZL a small sports trainer. The factory adapted design made by Władysław Kozłowski (his amateur planes were described in previous part) that, as PZL-5, was first flown in 1930. Total of 15 were built (prototype, 2 planes of information series, 11 series-produced and a prototype of upgraded version), before the production was discontinued after the introduction of more advanced designs.

Poland, PZL-5


Small transport/passenger airplane PZL-16 was made to the same requirements as PWS-24 and Lublin R.XVI. While a promising design, influenced by contemporary US air mail carriers, it unfortunately got heavily damaged during first flight in 1932 (according to some other sources - during second flight). It was repaired and modified only much later and flown as PZL-17, as a competitor for PWS-54 but didn't find approval with authorities.

Poland, PZL-16


PZL-19 was built (3 planes) specifically for the 1932 Challenge International de Tourisme, where it participated in Polish team together with RWD-6, but wasn't so succesful. Later these planes took part in various other aeronautical sporting events, including raid Warsaw-Kharkov-Leningrad-Lvov-Vienna. In 1933 one of the planes was used in an attempt of long-range flight Warsaw-Krasnoyarsk (Soviet Union), but crashed near Kazan (pilot, cpt. Lewoniewski was killed, observer lt.col. Filipowicz was wounded).

Poland, PZL-19


PZL-26 was a development of PZL-19 built (5 planes) for 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme, where it participated in Polish team together with RWD-9, but wasn't so succesful due to faulty engines. Engine problems caused these planes to be rarely used afterwards.

Poland, PZL-26


EDIT: Note: Lublin R.XII added 26.01.2014.

[ezgo394]

Amazing! I must say I find the Medwecki MN-3/-4 very intriguing, as it is set up as a side by side cockpit, but is slightly offset from each other to keep the fuselage from being too wide.
Wow! Fantastic work!

[ALVAMA]

What can we say! eswube out do us with awesome drawings all time!!! Great work!

[indiajuliet]

Great work again as we can always expect from you eswube
It's also interesting to read the descriptions - fantastic drawings and educational too, this is an excellent thread mate.

There can't be many more Polish aircraft that you haven't drawn, but I hope there's still much more to come

[eswube]

Thank You Mates!

@Ezgo394
Yes, that was indeed the point of this fuselage arrangement.

@Indiajuliet
That's just the beginning. There are still lots of Polish planes to draw.