RWD-7

infobox Aircraft
name =RWD-7
type =Sports plane
manufacturer =Warsaw University of Technology workshops



caption =Jerzy Drzewiecki and Jerzy Wędrychowski by the RWD-7
designer = RWD team
first flight =July 1931
introduced =1931
retired =1938
status =
primary user =Polish civilian aviation
more users =
produced =
number built =1
unit cost =
variants with their own articles = The RWD-7 was a Polish sports plane of 1931, constructed by the RWD team.

Development

The RWD-7 was constructed by the RWD team of Stanisław Rogalski, Stanisław Wigura and Jerzy Drzewiecki in Warsaw. It was based upon their earlier designs, especially the RWD-2 and RWD-4. The RWD-7 was meant to be a record plane, so it had a more powerful engine, while its mass was reduced. From its predecessors, it took the same fish-shaped fuselage without a direct view towards forward from the pilot's seat.

The only RWD-7 built (registration SP-AGH) was flown in July 1931 by its designer Jerzy Drzewiecki. On August 12, 1931, Drzewiecki and Jerzy Wędrychowski established an international FAI speed record of 178 km/h (111 mph) in the light tourist plane class, (below 280 kg (616 lb) empty weight). On September 30, 1932, Drzewiecki and Antoni Kocjan set a height record of 6,023 m (19,755 ft). The RWD-7 was used in Warsaw Aero Club, among others, for aerobatics, then in 1936 it was bought by a private owner for touring flights and used until 1938.

The RWD-7 was known for its extremely short take-off run: with a single crew member only 18 m (59 ft), with two crew members, 30 m (98 ft).

Description

Wooden construction sport plane, conventional in layout, high-wing catilever monoplane. Fuselage rectangular in cross-section (narrowing in upper part), plywood-covered. Trapezoid single-spar wing, canvas and plywood covered. Crew of two, sitting in tandem, pilot in the rear cab. The crew cabs were open on the sides. 5-cylinder Armstrong Siddeley Genet II radial engine, 56 kW (75 hp, nominal power). Two-blade wooden propeller. Conventional landing gear, with a rear skid. 30 l fuel tank in centralpart of wing.

pecifications

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=1
capacity=1
length main=9.8 m
length alt=32 ft 2 in
span main=6.3 m
span alt=20 ft 8 in
height main=2.0 m
height alt=6 ft 7 in
area main=13.60 m²
area alt= 146 ft²
empty weight main= 246 kg
empty weight alt= 541 lb
loaded weight main= 440 kg
loaded weight alt= 968 lb
useful load main= 194 kg
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
engine (prop)=Armstrong Siddeley Genet II
type of prop= air-cooled 5-cylinder radial engine
number of props=1
power main=75 hp
power alt=56 kW

max speed main=186 km/h
max speed alt=116 mph
cruise speed main= 160 km/h
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main= 65 km/h
stall speed alt=
range main=260 km
range alt=163 miles
ceiling main=6,000 m
ceiling alt=19,680 ft
climb rate main=6.2 m/s
climb rate alt=1,220 ft/min
loading main=32 kg/m²
loading alt= 6.6 lb/ft²
power/mass main= 0.23 kW/kg
more performance=
*Take-off run: 18-30 m

ee also

aircontent
related=
RWD-1 -
RWD-2 -
RWD-3 -
RWD-4

similar aircraft=

sequence=
RWD-3 -
RWD-4 -
RWD-5 -
RWD-6 -RWD-7 -
RWD-8 -
RWD-9 -
RWD-10 -
RWD-11

lists=

see also=

References

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