RWD-1

infobox Aircraft
name =RWD-1
type =Sports plane
national origin = Poland
manufacturer =Warsaw University of Technology workshops


caption =
designer = RWD team
first flight =September 1928
introduced =1928
retired =1930
status =
primary user =Poland
more users =
produced =
number built =1
unit cost =
variants with their own articles = The RWD-1 was a Polish sports plane of 1928, a single-engine high-wing monoplane constructed by the RWD design team.

Development

The RWD-1 was the first aircraft constructed by the RWD team of Stanisław Rogalski, Stanisław Wigura and Jerzy Drzewiecki in the Aviation Section of Mechanic Students' Club of Warsaw University of Technology. It was designed in late 1927. The plane was built with a financial help of the LOPP organization. One prototype was built for static trials, and one flying prototype (registration SP-ACC), completed and flown by the designer Jerzy Drzewiecki in September 1928.

Its unusual feature was a unique, fish-shaped fuselage, similar to early Messerschmitt's designs (M17). Two crewmen sat in tandem inside the fuselage and had only side openings in its upper part. In front of the pilot's head there was an upper part of the fuselage, supporting wings, limiting his view forward, though its profile was thin. This shape was repeated in following RWD designs. The aircraft was evaluated as a quite good design, with an original construction. It had high glide ratio of 12, and its payload was bigger than its empty weight. It was not built in any quantities, but gave a basis to further more successful RWD designs: RWD-2, RWD-3, RWD-4, RWD-7, and, partly RWD-5.

The prototype took part in the 2nd Polish Light Aircraft Contest in 1928, but did not complete it due to engine breakdown. In 1929 it undertook a raid around Poland. It was scrapped in winter of 1929/1930.

Description

Wooden construction single-engine high-wing cantilever monoplane, conventional in layout. The fuselage rectangular in cross-section, narrowing in upper part, plywood covered. Single-spar one-part trapezoid wings, covered with canvas and plywood in front. Cantilever empennage, covered with plywood (stabilizers) and canvas (rudder and elevators). The crew of two sat in tandem. The crew cockpits were open on the sides in upper part, and had individual doors (first cockpit - on the right, second one - on the left). A 2-cylinder air-cooled 40 hp ABC Scorpion II boxer engine (34 hp nominal power) was in front, driving two-blade wooden propeller Szomański (1,5 m diameter). Conventional fixed landing gear, sprung with a rubber rope, with a rear skid. Fuel tank in fuselage front (fuel consumption 9 l/h).

pecifications (RWD-1)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=Glass, A. (1977)
crew=One, pilot
capacity=One, passenger / second pilot
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 6 m
length alt= 19 ft 8 in
span main= 9.8 m
span alt= 32 ft 2 in
height main= 1.7 m
height alt= 5 ft 7 in
area main= 13.6 m²
area alt= 146.3 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 206 kg
empty weight alt= 453 lb
loaded weight main= 417 kg
loaded weight alt= 918 lb
useful load main= 211 kg
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= ABC Scorpion II
type of prop=2-cylinder air-cooled flat engine
number of props=1
power main= 40 hp
power alt= 53.6 kW
power original=
max speed main=135 km/h
max speed alt= 84 mph/h
cruise speed main= 115 km/h
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main= 65 km/h
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 500 km
range alt= 310 mi
ceiling main= 1,950 m
ceiling alt= 6,396 ft
climb rate main= 1.8 m/s, 108 m/min
climb rate alt= 354 ft/min
loading main=30.5 kg/m²
loading alt= 6.3 lb/ft²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
*Take-off run: 100 m
*Landing run: 130 m
armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
*RWD-2 - RWD-3 - RWD-4 - RWD-7
similar aircraft=
*Messerschmitt M17
lists=
see also=

References

*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" ("Polish aviation constructions 1893-1939"), WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 (Polish language, no ISBN)

External links

* [http://www.samoloty.ow.pl/str383.htm Photos and description (in Polish)]