LWS-7 Mewa II

Infobox Aircraft
name=LWS-7 Mewa II


caption=
type=Reconnaissance
manufacturer=LWS
designer=
first flight=
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=Polish Air Force
more users=
produced=
number built=None, project only
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=

The LWS-7 Mewa II ("Seagull") was a Polish observation and close reconnaissance aircraft, designed in the 1939 by the LWS factory as a development of the earlier LWS-3 Mewa. Aircraft development was ordered by the Polish Air Force, but no prototypes were built.

Design and development

In 1939, the LWS-7 Mewa II was being developed at the LWS as the development of the LWS-3 Mewa. New wings and a semi-monocoque fuselage with less drag were introduced. It was to be fitted with a more powerful 916 hp (683 kW) PZL Pegaz XX engine (Bristol Pegasus XX) or a planned 1000 hp (750 kW) PZL Waran. An estimated maximum speed of 400-420 km/h was estimated.

Before the war, only a wooden model for aerodynamics tests was made. Tests performed by Aerodynamic Institute of Warsaw University of Technology showed that the maximum speed of the LWS-7 could be estimated at 420-425 km/h - about 60 km/h more than the LWS-3 Mewa.

Complete technical drawings were prepared in Summer 1939 (still not confirmed) and the first prototype was planned to be built in Autumn 1939. First flight was planned in Spring or Summer 1940 and start of production was planned for Autumn/Winter 1940. The first production LWS-7 Mewa II could be handed over to Polish Air Force in early 1941. All these plans were halted due to the outbreak of World War II.

Drawings of LWS-7 were evacuated in September 1939 to the Polish embassy in Romania by the LWS director Aleksander Sipowicz. Many publications claim that they were handed over to Bulgarians, but it is not clear (possibly, it concerned the LWS-3B plans, in fact).

Operators (planned)

;POL
* Polish Air Force

pecifications (planned)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=2 (pilot and observer)
length main=9.50 m
length alt=31 ft 2 in
span main=13.45 m
span alt=44 ft 1 in
height main=2.65 m
height alt=8 ft 8 in
area main=26.0 m²
area alt=280 ft²
empty weight main=1,750 kg
empty weight alt=3,858 lb
loaded weight main=2,420 kg
loaded weight alt=5,335 lb
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=

engine (prop)=1× PZL-Bristol Pegasus XX (or XIX) 9-cylinder air cooled radial engine
type of prop=Three-blade metal variable pitch propeller
number of props=1
power main=674 kW
power alt=916 hp

max speed main=420-425 km/h (estimated)
max speed alt=
max speed more=
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
Landing speed
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
Take off run
Landing run

guns=2× fixed, forward-firing 7.92 mm PWU wz.36 machine guns, 1× rearward-firing 7.92 mm PWU wz.37 machine gun for observer
bombs=

References

ee also

aircontent
related=* LWS-3 Mewa
similar aircraft=* Henschel Hs 126 - Westland Lysander - KB-11 Fazan - WM-21 Solyom - IAR-39
sequence=* LWS-4 - LWS-5 - LWS-6 - LWS-7
see also=
lists=