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 The Challenge 1932 was the third Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, FAI International Tourist Plane Competition (), that took place between 12 and August 28, 1932, in Berlin, Germany. The four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviat ...

international tourist aircraft contest. The RWD-9 was designed specially for the purpose of competing in the ''IVth Challenge de Tourisme International'' to be held in Warsaw during August–September 1934 . It was constructed by

Stanisław Rogalski Stanisław Rogalski (25 May 1904 – 6 February 1976) was a Polish aircraft designer, born in Olomouc, best known as one of the founding trio (the other two being Stanisław Wigura and Jerzy Drzewiecki) of the inter-war period RWD airplane facto ...

and

Jerzy Drzewiecki Jerzy Drzewiecki (7 August 1902 – 15 May 1990) was a Polish aeroplane constructor, engineer and one of the founders of the RWD construction bureau, along with Rogalski and Wigura. He was born in Warsaw. Among his most notable constructions ...

of the RWD team in the DWL workshops in Warsaw. To meet new contest regulations, the new plane was designed as four-seater, with increased mass and engine power and yet better

STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including tho ...

capabilities. The first prototype was completed in October 1933, with a 265 hp

Menasco The Menasco Manufacturing Company was an American aircraft engine and component manufacturer. History The company was organized by Albert S. Menasco in 1926 to convert World War I surplus Salmson Z-9 water-cooled nine-cylinder radials into ai ...

inline engine, and first flew on December 4, 1933. In January 1934 it was fitted with Czech

Walter Walter may refer to: People and fictional characters * Walter (name), including a list of people and fictional and mythical characters with the given name or surname * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–19 ...

Bora radial engine (220 hp), and in spring 1934 with newly constructed Polish radial engine GR-760 (290 hp), created by Stanisław Nowkuński. In 1934 there were built 8 RWD 9s: 4 RWD 9W with Walter Bora engine (registrations: SP-DRA, SP-DRB, OK-AMC, OK-AMD) and 4 RWD 9S with GR-760 engine (registrations: SP-DRC, -DRD, -DRE, -DRF). RWD-9W had worse performance, comparing to RWD-9S (maximum speed 260 to 281 km/h).#

RWD 20

For research into Tricycle undercarriages D.W.L. converted the prototype RWD 9 to the RWD 20 fitting a 130 hp

Walter Major Walter Major was a family of Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak aircraft inline engines developed by Walter Aircraft Engines in the 1930s. Design and development Available in either four or six cylinder configuration, with identical bore and stroke o ...

engine, steerable noseleg, moving the main undercarriage legs rearwards, and removing the rear seats door and windows which were faired over with plywood. Extensive testing was carried out with take-offs, landings and taxiing on different surfaces including unprepared fields as well as ploughed land. Conversion was completed in 1938 and the flight trials proved the stability and manoeuvrability of the tri-cycle undercarriage during extensive taxiing trials, (landings and take-offs were carried out with the nosewheel steering locked). The fate of the RWD 20 is unknown but it did not survive WWII.

Usage

Six RWD 9s were used by the Polish Challenge team, while the remaining two were ordered by the

Czechoslovak Czechoslovak may refer to: *A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93) **First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38) **Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39) **Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60) ** Fourth Czechoslovak Repu ...

team (OK-AMC, -AMD). The Czechoslovak OK-AMC was crashed during trainings, and had not been repaired before the contest. Challenge1934

In the

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 ...

, held between August 28-September 16, 1934, Polish RWD 9S took the first (pilot Jerzy Bajan, SP-DRD) and second places (pilot Stanisław Płonczyński, SP-DRC). They won among others against German low-wing monoplanes

Messerschmitt Bf 108 The Messerschmitt Bf 108 ''Taifun'' (English: "Typhoon") is a single-engine sport and touring aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). It was the first aircraft of its size to feature all ...

and

Fieseler Fi 97 The Fieseler Fi 97 was a 1930s German four-seat cabin touring and competition monoplane aircraft designed and built by the German manufacturer Fieseler. Design and development Following the success of their two-seat tourer/trainer the Fieseler ...

. Polish RWD 9 took also the 7th and 15th places, and the Czechoslovak OK-AMD took the 8th place (pilot Jan Anderle). After the Challenge, RWD 9 were used by the sporting aviation. In

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

two of them (SP-DRA, -DRB) were sold to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, and the third SP-DRE to French institute CEMA (, ''Aerial Equipments Test Center''), in Villacoublay (markings: F-AKHE). On July 16, 1936, RWD 9 SP-DRC crashed to the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

due to low flying, killing crew, with Polish General

Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer Gustaw Konstanty Orlicz-Dreszer (October 2, 1889 − July 16, 1936) was a Polish general, and a political and social activist. Before World War I, Orlicz-Dreszer was involved in pro-independence activities in partitioned Poland. On 3 August 191 ...

aboard. The remaining two Polish RWD 9s were used in

Polish Aero Club The Polish Aero Club (''Aeroklub Polski'', AP) is the Polish central association of persons practising air sports or recreational flying. It was founded in 1921 and is a member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. It has a headquarte ...

(SP-DRF was crashed later). The Spanish aircraft were used as

liaison aircraft A liaison aircraft (also called an army cooperation aircraft) is a small, usually unarmed aircraft primarily used by military forces for artillery observation or transporting commanders and messages. Operation The concept developed before Worl ...

on the Republican side during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

Description

The RWD 9 was a four-seat sports and touring

strut A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension. A stay is sometimes used as a synonym for ...

ted high-wing

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 ...

of mixed construction. It had a metal frame fuselage covered with

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...

on a wooden frame, in engine section with

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

sheets. Two-spar rectangular wing of wooden construction, canvas and

plywood Plywood is a composite material manufactured from thin layers, or "plies", of wood veneer that have been stacked and glued together. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards, which include plywood, medium-density fibreboa ...

covered, were fitted. The wings were folded rearwards, and were equipped with automatic

slats Super Low Altitude Test Satellite (SLATS) or Tsubame was a JAXA satellite intended to demonstrate operations in very low Earth orbit (VLEO, below 200 km), using ion engines to counteract aerodynamic drag (physics), drag from the atmosphere ...

flap Flap may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Flap'' (film), a 1970 American film * Flap, a boss character in the arcade game '' Gaiapolis'' * Flap, a minor character in the film '' Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'' Biology and h ...

s and interceptors. The cabin was enclosed with four places in two rows, with two doors, and the cockpit fitted with double controls for pilot and co-pilot. The RWD 9 had a twin-blade wooden propeller with a fixed pitch. Conventional fixed

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...

, with a rear skid. Fuel tanks were housed in the wings and fuselage - 160 L. Take-off: 76.1 m (to altitude 8 m), landing: 76.9 m (from altitude 8 m - best results from the Challenge contest).

Military operators

; *

Spanish Republican Air Force The Spanish Republican Air Force was the air arm of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939. Initially divided into two branches: Military Aeronautics () and Naval Aeron ...

; *

Spanish Air Force The Spanish Air and Space Force () is the aerial and space warfare branch of the Spanish Armed Forces. History Early stages Hot air balloons have been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Al ...

- Post civil war.

Specifications (RWD 9S)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rwd-09 1930s Polish sport aircraft 1930s Polish civil utility aircraft RWD aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1933 STOL aircraft Single-engined piston aircraft