R.W.D. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7

Intended originally to provide workshops for the students of Warsaw Technical University, premises built at Warsaw-Okecie and known initially as the Warsztaty Lotnicze were renamed Doswiadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze (experimental aviation workshops) in 1931. They were leased to three promising light aircraft designers, Stanislaw Rogalski, Stanislaw Wigura and Jerzy Drzewiecki, the R.W.D. initials of their surnames becoming part of the designation of the aircraft developed by them. First aircraft to emanate from this team before gaining the above workshops was the R.W.D.1, a very basic light two-seater of cantilever high-wing monoplane configuration powered by a 25kW A.B.C. Scorpion flat-two engine. Flown first in September 1928, it was sufficiently successful to bring development of an improved R.W.D.2 with a 30kW Salmson AD.9 radial engine. The prototype, first flown in May 1929, proved good enough to complete a tour of Poland and a tour of Europe before establishing a class altitude record of 4004m on 16 October 1929. This capability brought an order for three R.W.D.2s and three similar R.W.D.4 aircraft with more powerful engines. Used by a Polish national team, these six aircraft had considerable competition success during 1930-31. A single light-weight and refined R.W.D.7 was developed from the R.W.D.2 for record-breaking purposes and this, powered by a 60kW Armstrong Siddeley Genet II radial engine, set FAI-ratified world class speed and altitude records of 178.75km/h and 6023m on 12 August 1931 and 30 September 1932 respectively.

3-View

A three-view drawing of R.W.D. 2 (778 x 928)

An R.W.D.3 liaison aircraft based on the R.W.D.2 was built but proved unsuccessful, and in addition to the three R.W.D.4s built for competition use an additional seven were produced for clubs/private owners.

3-View

A three-view drawing of R.W.D. 4 (508 x 225)