RWD-7
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| RWD-7 | |
|---|---|
 Jerzy Drzewiecki and Jerzy Wędrychowski by the RWD-7 |
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| Type | Sports plane |
| Manufacturer | Warsaw University of Technology workshops |
| Designed by | RWD team |
| Maiden flight | July 1931 |
| Introduced | 1931 |
| Retired | 1938 |
| Primary user | Polish civilian aviation |
| Number built | 1 |
The RWD-7 was a Polish sports plane of 1931, constructed by the RWD team.
Contents |
[edit] Development
The RWD-7 was constructed by the RWD team of Stanisław Rogalski, Stanisław Wigura and Jerzy Drzewiecki in Warsaw. It was based upon their earlier designs, especially the RWD-2 and RWD-4. The RWD-7 was meant to be a record plane, so it had a more powerful engine, while its mass was reduced. From its predecessors, it took the same fish-shaped fuselage without a direct view towards forward from the pilot's seat.
The only RWD-7 built (registration SP-AGH) was flown in July 1931 by its designer Jerzy Drzewiecki. On August 12, 1931, Drzewiecki and Jerzy Wędrychowski established an international FAI speed record of 178 km/h (111 mph) in the light tourist plane class, (below 280 kg (616 lb) empty weight). On September 30, 1932, Drzewiecki and Antoni Kocjan set a height record of 6,023 m (19,755 ft). The RWD-7 was used in Warsaw Aero Club, among others, for aerobatics, then in 1936 it was bought by a private owner for touring flights and used until 1938.
The RWD-7 was known for its extremely short take-off run: with a single crew member only 18 m (59 ft), with two crew members, 30 m (98 ft).
[edit] Description
Wooden construction sport plane, conventional in layout, high-wing catilever monoplane. Fuselage rectangular in cross-section (narrowing in upper part), plywood-covered. Trapezoid single-spar wing, canvas and plywood covered. Crew of two, sitting in tandem, pilot in the rear cab. The crew cabs were open on the sides. 5-cylinder Armstrong Siddeley Genet II radial engine, 56 kW (75 hp, nominal power). Two-blade wooden propeller. Conventional landing gear, with a rear skid. 30 l fuel tank in centralpart of wing.
[edit] Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 1
- Length: 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
- Wingspan: 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)
- Height: 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 13.60 m² (146 ft²)
- Empty weight: 246 kg (541 lb)
- Loaded weight: 440 kg (968 lb)
- Useful load: 194 kg ()
- Powerplant: 1× Armstrong Siddeley Genet II air-cooled 5-cylinder radial engine, 75 hp (56 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 186 km/h (116 mph)
- Cruise speed: 160 km/h
- Stall speed: 65 km/h ()
- Range: 260 km (163 miles)
- Service ceiling 6,000 m (19,680 ft)
- Rate of climb: 6.2 m/s (1,220 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 32 kg/m² (6.6 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 0.23 kW/kg ()
- Take-off run: 18-30 m
[edit] See also
Related development RWD-1 - RWD-2 - RWD-3 - RWD-4
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[edit] References
- Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" (Polish aviation constructions 1893-1939), WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 (Polish language, no ISBN)
