CWL WZ-X
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The WZ-X was the Polish reconnaissance aircraft designed in the mid-1920s and manufactured in the CWL - Central Aviation Workshops in Warsaw. It was the first combat aircraft of own design built in Poland.
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[edit] Development
The aircraft was designed by Wladyslaw Zalewski, as his tenth design (Zalewski had already constructed aircraft for the Russian Air Force during the World War I). Work started in 1923, and the first prototype was flown in August, 1926. Trials were successful: its performance was at least as good as the Breguet 19, and better than the Potez 25. However, maintenance was more difficult.
In 1927, three reconnaissance aircraft were built (designated WZ-X/II, WZ-X/III, WZ-X/IV). The first two of these were fitted with the same Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb 478 hp W engine used by the prototype, while the other had a Gnome-Rhone Jupiter 9a 530 hp radial engine.
The WZ-X did not enter serial production, because Poland had already bought many Breguet 19 aircraft from France, and started production under licence of the Potez 25 of the same class. Three WZ-Xs were given to aviation schools, where one or two survived until 1939.
[edit] Description
Wooden construction biplane, conventional in layout. Fuselage semi-monocoque, elliptical in cross-section, plywood covered. Wings canvas and plywood covered, of equal span. Crew of two, sitting in tandem in an open cockpit. Conventional fixed landing gear, with a rear skid.
The pilot had two fixed 7.7 mm Vickers machine guns with interrupter gear, the observer had twin 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns on a ring mounting. Bomb load: unknown.
Engine: 12-cylinder inline W engine Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb 450 hp power, 478 hp take-off power, water cooled. Two-blade wooden propeller. Fuel tank in the fuselage.
[edit] Specifications
[edit] General characteristics
- Crew: Two - pilot and observer
- Length: 8.21 m
- Wingspan: 11.31 m
- Height: 3.07 m
- Wing area: 33.2 m²
- Empty: 1246 kg
- Loaded: 1915 kg
- Maximum takeoff: kg
- Powerplant: 1x 478 hp
[edit] Performance
- Maximum speed: 205 km/h
- Range: 800 km
- Service ceiling: 6,325 m
- Rate of climb: 5.5 m/s
- Wing loading: 57.7 kg/m²
- Power/mass: kW/kg, hp/lb
[edit] Related content
Related development:
Comparable aircraft: Breguet 19 - Potez 15 - Potez 25
Designation sequence: WZ-III - WZ-IV - WZ-V - WZ-VI - CWL WZ-VIII - CWL WZ-IX - CWL WZ-X
