RWD (aircraft manufacturer)
| Company type | Aircraft design bureau |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Founder | Stanisław Rogalski, Stanisław Wigura, Jerzy Drzewiecki |
| Defunct | 1939 |
| Headquarters | Warsaw , Poland |
| Products | Aircraft designs (sport, trainer, reconnaissance) |
RWD was a Polish aircraft design bureau operational from 1928 until 1939. It originated as a collaboration among three young engineers—Stanisław Rogalski, Stanisław Wigura, and Jerzy Drzewiecki—whose surnames formed the acronym RWD.
History
The founders of RWD initially began their work while studying at the Warsaw University of Technology. In December 1925, together with other student aircraft designers, they established workshops within the Aviation Section of the Mechanics Students' Club (Sekcja Lotnicza Koła Mechaników Studentów), where they produced their earliest aircraft concepts. From 1926 onward, they independently developed several models such as the Drzewiecki JD-2 and WR-1. By 1928, the trio united to form a single design team, debuting with the RWD-1 sports aircraft. Beyond aircraft construction, Jerzy Drzewiecki also served as a test pilot for their creations, while Stanisław Wigura participated in competitions as a flight mechanic. In 1930, their operations relocated to new facilities in Warsaw's Okęcie district, close to the Okęcie aerodrome—now known as Warsaw International Airport—which had been established by the paramilitary organization LOPP. On 11 September 1932, Stanisław Wigura tragically lost his life in an accident involving the RWD-6 during adverse weather conditions. Despite this loss, the RWD designation persisted for subsequent designs; according to popular belief, the letter W came to represent engineer Jerzy Wędrychowski, although he was not involved in design work. In 1933, Rogalski, Drzewiecki, and Wędrychowski founded Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze (DWL, Experimental Aeronautical Works) based in Warsaw, which undertook production of later RWD models. Besides Rogalski and Drzewiecki, the design team included engineers such as Tadeusz Chyliński, Bronisław Żurakowski, Leszek Dulęba, and Andrzej Anczutin, along with others like Henryk Millicer.
Initially, RWD specialized in designing and manufacturing lightweight sport aircraft. Early models including the RWD-2 and RWD-4 were produced in limited quantities and featured prominently within Polish sport aviation circles, including participation in the international Challenge 1930 competition. Subsequent designs achieved notable success in contests: the RWD-6 secured victory at the Challenge 1932, while several RWD-9 units triumphed at the Challenge 1934. The RWD-5 distinguished itself as the lightest aircraft to complete an Atlantic crossing in 1933. Three models entered large-scale production: the RWD-8, which served as the primary trainer for the Polish Air Force; the touring aircraft RWD-13; and the reconnaissance plane RWD-14 Czapla introduced in 1938.
Other significant projects included the aerobatic RWD-10 (1933), aerobatic-trainer RWD-17 (1937), and light sport model RWD-21 (1939). The outbreak of World War II halted further advancements and serial manufacture of later RWD designs, bringing an end to both the RWD design bureau and DWL manufacturing facility.
Aircraft
Footnotes
Notes
Bibliography
- Glass, Andrzej: Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939 (Polish Aircraft Designs 1893-1939), WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 (in Polish)
- Glass, Andrzej: Słownik biograficzny techników polskich (Biographical Dictionary of Polish Technicians), SBTP, Warsaw 2003 (in Polish)
External links
- RWD Aircraft
- Historical Overview of RWD and DWL (Available in Polish and French)
- RWD-6 Replica Initiative
| Model designation | Maiden flight | Quantity produced | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| RWD 1 | 1928 | 1 | Single-engine monoplane designed for sport flying |
| RWD 2 | 1929 | 4 | Single-engine monoplane intended for sport aviation |
| RWD 3 | 1930 | 1 | Single-engine monoplane sport aircraft |
| RWD 4 | 1930 | 9 | Single-engine monoplane for sport purposes |
| RWD 5 | 1931 | 20 | Single-engine monoplane used in sport aviation |
| RWD 6 | 1932 | 3 | Single-engine monoplane designed for sport flying |
| RWD 7 | 1931 | 1 | Single-engine monoplane intended for sport use |
| RWD 8 | 1933 | over 550 | Single-engine monoplane trainer aircraft |
| RWD 9 | 1933 | 10 | Single-engine monoplane built for sport flying |
| RWD 10 | 1933 | ~23 | Single-engine monoplane designed for aerobatics |
| RWD 11 | 1936 | 1 | Twin-engine monoplane feederliner |
| RWD-12 | N/A | 0 | Single-engine monoplane trainer |
| RWD 13 | 1935 | ~100 | Single-engine monoplane touring aircraft |
| RWD-14 Czapla | 1936 | 4 (with an extra 65 units manufactured by LWS) | Single-engine monoplane liaison aircraft |
| RWD 15 | 1937 | 6 | Single-engine monoplane touring plane |
| RWD 16 | 1936 | 3+
Single-engine monoplane sport aircraft | |
| RWD 17 | 1937 | align=center approximately ~30
Single-engine monoplane trainer | |
| RWD 18 | N/A
Align center =1 Two-engine utility monoplane |