LWD Żak

infobox Aircraft
name =LWD Żak
type =Touring and trainer aircraft
manufacturer =LWD


caption =
designer =Tadeusz Sołtyk
first flight = 23 March 1947
introduced =1947
retired =1955
status =
primary user =Polish civilian aviation
more users =
produced =1947-1948
number built =13
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =The LWD Żak was a Polish touring and trainer aircraft of late 1940s, designed in the LWD and built in a short series.

Design and development

The Żak (old-fashioned "student") was designed in the Lotnicze Warsztaty Doświadczalne (LWD, "Aviation Experimental Workshops") in Łódź, directed by Tadeusz Sołtyk in 1946, as one of the first Polish post-war aircraft. It was a light low-wing cantilever monoplane of a mixed construction, with a crew of two, sitting side by side, and fixed conventional landing gear. The first prototype Żak-1 was first flown on March 23, 1947. It was powered by the Czechoslovak 65 hp straight engine Walter Mikron III and carried markings SP-AAC. The second prototype Żak-2 was powered by the 65 hp flat engine Continental A-65 and had an open cockpit. It was flown on November 27, 1947 and carried markings SP-AAE.

The design appeared successful and the Ministry of Communication ordered a series of 10 aircraft. They were to be powered by licence-built A-65 engines, but since plans of engine production were abandoned, it was decided to fit them with Walter Mikron engines. They were also fitted with a closed canopy, sliding rearwards, and named Żak-3. Ten planes were built by the LWD in the end of 1948, the first of them was flown on November 8, 1948. They had markings: SP-AAS to SP-AAZ, and SP-BAA to SP-BAC. At least one (SP-AAX) had engine replaced later with 85 hp (63 kW) Cirrus F.III. They were used in the Polish regional aero clubs until 1955.

On October 20, 1948 there was flown a prototype of the last variant, Żak-4, meant for a glider towing. It had stronger 105 hp Walter engine and an open canopy. Since it showed unsuitable for glider towing, and old Polikarpov Po-2 appeared the better plane for this purpose, Żak-4 was not built in series, and the prototype was re-fitted with a closed canopy and used as a touring plane in aero club (markings SP-BAE).

Variants

;Żak-1 (SP-AAC):The first prototype powered by Walter Mikron III engine.;Żak-2 (SP-AAE):The second prototype without canopy and powered by Continental A-65 engine.;Żak-3:Main production version with closed canopy and powered by Walter Mikron III engine, 10 built.;Żak-4 (SP-BAE):Prototype of the glider towing version with open canopy (later refitted with a closed one) and powered by Walter engine.

Operators

;POL
*Aeroklub Polski

urvivors

Żak-3 SP-AAX is preserved in the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków (disassembled as for 2007)

pecifications (Żak-3)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=one, pilot
capacity=one
length main=7.6 m
length alt=
span main=11.8 m
span alt=
height main=1.95 m
height alt=
area main=16.83 m2
area alt=
empty weight main= 405 kg
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main= kg
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
engine (prop)=Walter Mikron III
type of prop= aircooled 4-cylinder straight engine
number of props=1
power main=65 hp
power alt=48 kW
max speed main=157 km/h
max speed alt=
range main=310 km
range alt=
ceiling main=3,500 m
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=

References

*Babiejczuk, Janusz and Grzegorzewski, Jerzy: "Polski przemysł lotniczy 1945-1973" (Polish aviation industry...), Wydawnictwo MON, Warsaw 1974 pl icon
*Krzyżan, Marian: "Samoloty w muzeach polskich", Warsaw 1983, ISBN 83-206-0432 pl icon
* [http://www.powiat.mielec.pl/poser/samoloty/lwd/lwdzak.htm Photo and description ] at Poser page pl icon

ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=
*RWD-21 - Zlin Z-22 Junak - Bücker Bü 181
lists=
see also=

External links

* [http://www.airwar.ru/enc/la/zak.html Photos at Ugolok Neba page]