RWD-14 Czapla

infobox Aircraft
name =RWD-14b Czapla
type =reconnaissance and liaison aircraft
manufacturer =DWL, LWS

---

caption =
designer =
first flight =1935
introduced =1939
retired =
status =
primary user =Polish Air Force
more users = Romania
produced =1938-1939
number built =3+65
unit cost =
variants with their own articles = The RWD-14 Czapla was a Polish observation, close reconnaissance and liaison aircraft, designed in the mid-1930s by the RWD team, and produced in the LWS factory from 1938.

Design and development

The aircraft was designed in response to a Polish Air Force requirement of 1933 for a new army cooperation plane, a successor of the Lublin R-XIII. The RWD team of the DWL workshops ("Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze") initially proposed the RWD-12 project, based on the RWD-8 trainer. It was however considered as not as good as the R-XIII, and another aircraft, the RWD-14 was designed by Stanislaw Rogalski and Jerzy Drzewiecki. Designer Tadeusz Chyliński prepared its technical documentation. [Andrzej Glass (2003). "Słownik biograficzny techników polskich", SBTP: Warsaw, p. 24: fragment of its entry about Tadeusz Chyliński: ( _pl. W 1937 r. podjął prace w Doświadczalnych Warsztatach Lotniczych (RWD) jako konstr., jednocześnie kontynuowal studia. Pracował przy dok. seryjnej samolotu obserwacyjnego RWD-14 Czapla, następnie zaprojektował plat samolotu zawodniczego RWD-19, kadlub samolotu dyspozycyjnego RWD-18, łoże silnika do samolotu szk. RWD-23 i dźwigar płata samolotu myśliwskiego RWD-25. W l. 1933-38 byl czl. Sekcji Lotniczej Kola Mechaników Stud. PW.)]

The first prototype was flown in late 1935. It won the contest over the Lublin R-XXI project and the Podlaska Wytwórnia Samolotów factory project, but factory trials showed that its performance was still not satisfactory. Between 1936 and 1937 two modified prototypes were built, designated RWD-14a, but both crashed during trials due to steering mechanism faults (the pilots survived). Finally, in early 1938 the fourth prototype, designated RWD-14b, was built. It was ordered by the Polish Air Force, receiving the name Czapla ("Heron"), but due to the long development process, it was regarded as only an interim model, to replace the R-XIII until the advent of the more modern LWS-3 Mewa. In return for refunding the development costs, the DWL gave the rights to produce the RWD-14b to the state factory LWS ("Lubelska Wytwórnia Samolotów" - Lublin Aircraft Works, a successor of the Plage i Laśkiewicz).

The LWS built a series of 65 RWD-14b Czapla by February 28, 1939 (they are sometimes called the LWS Czapla).

Operational history

The Czapla entered service in the Polish Air Force in the spring of 1939, equipping some observation squadrons ("eskadra obserwacyjna"). Due to its long development, it was not a modern aircraft, only a little better than the Lublin R-XIII. Its advantage was its short take-off (140 m) and landing (120 m), enabling it to operate from fields and meadows. Its modern successor, the LWS-3 Mewa, did not manage to enter operational units due to the war.

In the invasion of Poland in 1939, the Polish Air Force had 35 Czaplas in five observation squadrons (out of 12): No.'s 13, 23, 33, 53 and 63. Each squadron had seven aircraft. Squadrons were distributed among the field Armies. The remaining 30 Czaplas were in reserve (probably only four supplemented combat units during the campaign). Like the R-XIII, the Czapla was no match for any Luftwaffe fighter, bomber, or even reconnaissance aircraft, being much slower, and armed with only two machine guns. In spite of this, they were actively used for close reconnaissance and liaison tasks.

Most RWD-14b were destroyed during the campaign. About ten were withdrawn to Romania (there are quoted numbers from 10 to 16) and one probably to Hungary. They were taken over by the Romanian Air Force and used for auxiliary duties. No RWD-14b has survived.

Technical description

Mixed construction braced parasol high-wing monoplane, conventional in layout. A fuselage of a metal and wooden frame, covered with canvas. Wooden two-spar wings, canvas and plywood covered, fitted with slats. Wings were folding rearwards (width with foled wings: 3.9 m). Stabilizers of wooden construction. Conventional fixed landing gear, with a rear wheel. Crew of two, sitting in tandem in open cockpits, with twin controls and individual windshields. The observer had a 7.7 mm Vickers K machine gun, the pilot had a fixed 7.92 mm wz.33 machine gun with interrupter gear. 9 cylinder air-cooled radial engine PZL G-1620B Mors-II with 430 hp (320 kW) nominal power and 470 hp (350 kW) take-off power. Two-blade wooden propeller. Two fuel tanks with total capacity of 315 litres (265 liter in the fuselage, 50 liter in the central wing). The aircraft could be fitted with radio and camera.

Operators

*POL
**Polish Air Force
*flag|Romania
**Romanian Air Force

pecifications

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=Two, pilot and observer
capacity=
length main= 9.00 m
length alt=29 ft 6 in
span main=11.90 m
span alt=39 ft 0 in
height main=3.00 m
height alt= 9 ft 10 in
area main=22.00 m²
area alt= 237 ft²
empty weight main= 1,225 kg
empty weight alt= 2,701 lb
loaded weight main= 1,700 kg
loaded weight alt=3,748 lb
useful load main= 475 kg
useful load alt= 1,045 lb
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
engine (prop)= PZL G-1620B Mors-II
type of prop= air-cooled 9-cylinder radial
number of props=1
power main= 350 kW
power alt= 470 hp
max speed main=247 km/h
max speed alt= 133 knots, 153 mph
cruise speed main= 232 km/h
cruise speed alt= 126 knots, 145 mph
stall speed main= <80 km/h
stall speed alt= 43 knots, 50 mph
range main=675 km
range alt= 364 nm, 421 miles
ceiling main=5,100 m
ceiling alt=16,728 ft
climb rate main= 6.1 m/s (366 m/min)
climb rate alt= 1,200 ft/min
loading main= 77 kg/m²
loading alt= 16 lb/ft²
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
armament=
* 1 × fixed, forward-firing 7.92 mm wz.33 machine gun
* 1 × flexible, rearward-firing 7.7 mm Vickers K machine gun for observer

References

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

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
*Heinkel He 46
*Henschel Hs 126
*Breguet 270
*Potez 390

lists=

see also=