The RWD 23 was a Polish low-wing

trainer aircraft A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristic ...

of 1938, constructed by the RWD team, that remained a prototype.

Development

The aircraft was designed in 1938 to fill the gap in the Polish trainer aircraft, by creating a light low-wing trainer. All trainers built in series in Poland to that point were high-wing monoplanes, for example the

RWD-8 The RWD 8 was a Polish parasol wing monoplane trainer aircraft produced by RWD (aircraft manufacturer), RWD. It was used from 1934 to 1939 by the Polish Polish Air Force, Air Force and civilian aviation. Development The RWD 8 was designed in re ...

or the various biplanes. The main designer was Andrzej Anczutin of the RWD bureau. Among the designers were also

Bronisław Żurakowski Bronisław Żurakowski (26 June 1911 – 4 October 2009) was a Polish engineer, aeroplane constructor, and Glider (sailplane), glider test pilot. Personal life Bronisław Żurakowski was born in Makiejowka. He was a brother of test pilot J ...

and

Tadeusz Chyliński Tadeusz Chylińnski (13 October 1911 in Warsaw – 15 February 1978 in Warsaw) – was a Polish airplane designer and constructor, a researcher at the Institute of Aviation, Warsaw, Institute of Aviation in Warsaw and specialist in aircraft s ...

. Chyliński designed the base mount for its engine.Andrzej Glass (2003). ''Słownik biograficzny techników polskich'', SBTP: Warsaw, p. 24: fragment of its entry about

: () The plane was similar to

de Havilland Moth Minor The de Havilland DH.94 Moth Minor was a 1930s British two-seat tourer/trainer aircraft built by de Havilland at Hatfield Aerodrome, England. With the start of the Second World War, production of the Moth Minor was moved to de Havilland Austral ...

, but over 100 kg lighter. Low power output and simple wooden construction would make it cheap and economical in service, and therefore it might replace the RWD-8 in aeroclubs. The first prototype (registration SP-BPO) was flown in late 1938 or early 1939 in Warsaw by E. Przysiecki. It underwent factory trials in June 1939, then it was given to tests to the Aviation Technical Institute. It was destroyed in the first days of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, in September 1939. The plane was found as successful, it could also perform basic aerobatics. The second improved prototype was under construction when the war broke out, but it was not completed. The LOPP paramilitary organization ordered a series of 10 aircraft, that were not completed due to the war.

Description

Wooden construction low-wing cantilever

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...

, conventional in layout, with a fixed landing gear and open cockpits. Fuselage semi-

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

, rectangular in cross-section, plywood-covered. Single-piece trapezoid wings with rounded tips, single-spar, plywood (front) and canvas covered, fitted with flaps. Conventional tail of a shape typical to RWD designs, like

RWD 8 The RWD 8 was a Polish parasol wing monoplane trainer aircraft produced by RWD. It was used from 1934 to 1939 by the Polish Air Force and civilian aviation. Development The RWD 8 was designed in response to a Polish Air Force requirement in 19 ...

, plywood (fins) and canvas (elevators and rudder) covered. Two open cockpits in

tandem Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which two or more animals, machines, or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. ''Tandem'' can also be used more generally to refer to any group of persons or objects w ...

, with individual windshields and twin controls. Rear cockpit was raised a bit for a better view. Conventional fixed landing gear with a rear skid, main gear in aerodynamic covers.

Walter Mikron The Walter Mikron is a four-cylinder, air-cooled, inverted straight engine for aircraft. Development Developed in Czechoslovakia in the early 1930s, the engine saw limited use in late 1930s and early 1950s. In the 1980s an initial batch of engi ...

II inline engine in front, with two-blade wooden propeller. Cirrus Minor or 63 hp Avia 3 engines could also to be installed. Fuel tank 45 L in a fuselage, cruise fuel consumption 14 L/h. (

Specifications (RWD 23 prototype)

References

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

External links

Photos and drawings at Ugolok Neba
{{RWD aircraft 1930s Polish civil trainer aircraft RWD-23 Low-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1938 Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear

Development

Description

Specifications (RWD 23 prototype)

See also

References

External links