RWD-16

infobox Aircraft
name =RWD-16
type =Sports plane
manufacturer =DWL
national origin = Poland


caption =
designer = RWD team
first flight =1936
introduced =
retired =
status = prototype
primary user =Poland
more users =
produced =
number built =1
unit cost =
variants with their own articles = RWD-16bis The RWD-16 was a Polish two-seat low-wing sports plane of 1936, constructed by the RWD team, that remained a prototype.

Development

The aircraft was designed in 1935 by Andrzej Anczutin of the RWD bureau, as a light and economical sports plane. The plane was a wooden low-wing monoplane, with two seats side-by-side in a closed cockpit, powered by 50 hp Walter Mikron I straight engine.

The prototype was built and first flown in early 1936 (registration SP-AXY), funded by the Polish division of Osram factory. The plane did not appear a successful design, though. Test revealed lack of directional stability, therefore its rudder was much enlarged, the wings were fitted with fixed slats and a windshield was redesigned. It did not improve the situation much, and in 1937-1938 the prototype was rebuilt and fitted with stronger 60 hp Avia 3 engine in a lengthened nose, while the vertical stabilizer and rudder were made smaller. Most significant feature became a front windshield with a negative slope.

After final changes, the prototype still was not satisfactory, but it served as a basis for the RWD-16bis design, which was a new, redesigned aircraft, produced as the RWD-21.

Description

Wooden construction low-wing cantilever monoplane, conventional in layout, with a fixed landing gear and a closed cockpit. Fuselage semi-monocoque, plywood-covered. Single-piece trapezoid wings with rounded tips, two-spar, plywood (in front) and canvas covered. Conventional cantilever empennage, plywood (fins) and canvas (elevators and rudder) covered. Two seats side-by-side, with twin controls, under a common canopy, with a fixed windshield. Conventional fixed landing gear with a rear skid.

convert|50|hp|abbr=on Walter Mikron I inline engine in front, with two-blade wooden propeller Szomański, 1.8 m diameter. In later variant, convert|60|hp|abbr=on Avia 3 inline engine was installed.

pecifications

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=Glass, A. (1977)
crew=1, pilot
capacity=1, passenger or co-pilot
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 7.51 m
length alt=
span main= 11.8 m
span alt=
height main= 2.75 m
height alt=
area main= 15.3 m²
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 325 kg
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main= 610 kg
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=285 kg
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= Avia 3
type of prop=4-cylinder air-cooled inverted straight engine
number of props=1
power main= 60 hp
power alt= kW
power original=
max speed main=145 km/h
max speed alt=
cruise speed main=120 km/h
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=67 km/h
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 750 km
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 40 kg/m²
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

References

*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" ("Polish aviation constructions 1893-1939"), WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p.322-323 pl icon

ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=

lists=

see also=

External links

* [http://www.airwar.ru/enc/law1/rwd16.html Photos and drawings at Ugolok Neba]