PZL.12

PZL-12 (PZL-H)
Role	Touring amphibious flying boat
Manufacturer	PZL
First flight	February 1931
Status	Prototype
Primary user	Poland
Number built	1

PZL.12 (PZL-H) was a prototype of a Polish amphibious flying boat designed and built in 1931 by Zygmunt Puławski, a pioneering Polish designer. He was fatally killed in a crash involving this design.

Design and development

The Polish designer Zygmunt Puławski of the PZL works designed PZL-H in 1930, as a small touring amphibious aircraft, for his own needs. The factory agreed to construct a single aircraft for Puławski. At the same time, the Polish Navy revealed interest in training and liaison seaplanes, and PZL-H was proposed to the Navy. In late 1930 the prototype was built in the PZL in Warsaw in a semi-amateur way. It finally was given a designation PZL.12.

The prototype was first flown in February 1931 in Warsaw by Puławski, in a land configuration (without auxiliary floats). The plane was not tested on water. During the sixth flight on 21 March 1931, right after take-off, the plane stalled due to strong wind and crashed in Warsaw, killing Puławski. The death of this talented designer of fighter aircraft was recognized as a heavy blow to the Polish Air Force capabilities. Further work upon PZL.12 ceased.

Design

Mixed construction high-wing cantilever monoplane flying boat. A fuselage of duralumin construction, metal-covered, square in cross-section, split into watertight compartments. A V-shaped bottom was single-stepped. Engine on struts above a fuselage, with a two-blade pusher propeller. Two-spar trapezoid wings with rounded ends, of wooden construction, plywood and canvas covered. A tail of wooden construction. Crew of two, sitting side by side in an open cockpit. Retractable landing gear: main gear folding under wings, rear skid. There were planned auxiliary floats under wings. Fuel tank 100 l.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 1, pilot
• Capacity: 1
• Length: 7.8 m ()
• Wingspan: 11.05 m ()
• Height: 2.9 m ()
• Wing area: 19 m² (ft²)
• Empty weight: 440 kg ()
• Loaded weight: 660 kg ()
• Useful load: 220 kg ()
• Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Gipsy III air-cooled 4-cylinder straight engine, 130 hp ()

Performance

• Maximum speed: 180 km/h
• Cruise speed: 155 km/h
• Stall speed: 75 km/h ()
• Range: 550 km ()
• Service ceiling: 4200 m ()
• Rate of climb: 3.7 m/s ()
• Wing loading: 35 kg/m² ()

Armament

• unarmed

References

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

External links

• Drawing at Poser page

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Nikol A-2
• FBA 17