RWD 16

RWD-16
RWD-16 in its initial shape
Role	Sports plane
National origin	Poland
Manufacturer	DWL
Designer	RWD team
First flight	1936
Status	prototype
Primary user	Poland
Number built	1
Variants	RWD-16bis

The RWD-16 was a Polish two-seat low-wing sports plane of 1936, constructed by the RWD team, that remained a prototype.

Development

The aircraft was designed in 1935 by Andrzej Anczutin of the RWD bureau, as a light and economical sports plane. The plane was a wooden low-wing monoplane, with two seats side-by-side in a closed cockpit, powered by 50 hp Walter Mikron I straight engine.

The prototype was built and first flown in early 1936 (registration SP-AXY), funded by the Polish division of Osram factory. The plane did not appear a successful design, though. Test revealed lack of directional stability, therefore its rudder was much enlarged, the wings were fitted with fixed slats and a windshield was redesigned. It did not improve the situation much, and in 1937-1938 the prototype was rebuilt and fitted with stronger 60 hp Avia 3 engine in a lengthened nose, while the vertical stabilizer and rudder were made smaller. Most significant feature became a front windshield with a negative slope.

After final changes, the prototype still was not satisfactory, but it served as a basis for the RWD-16bis design, which was a new, redesigned aircraft, produced as the RWD-21. The prototype RWD-16 was given then to a known touring aviator Zbigniew Babiński.

Description

Wooden construction low-wing cantilever monoplane, conventional in layout, with a fixed landing gear and a closed cockpit. The fuselage was semi-monocoque, plywood-covered. Single-piece trapezoid wings with rounded tips, two-spar, plywood (in front) and canvas covered. Conventional cantilever empennage, plywood (fins) and canvas (elevators and rudder) covered. Two seats side-by-side, with twin controls, under a common canopy, with a fixed windshield. Conventional fixed landing gear with a rear skid.

50 hp (37 kW) Walter Mikron I inline engine in front, with two-blade wooden propeller Szomański, 1.8 m diameter. In later variant, 60 hp (45 kW) Avia 3 inline engine was installed.

Specifications

Data from Glass, A. (1977), p. 323

General characteristics

• Crew: 1, pilot
• Capacity: 1, passenger or co-pilot
• Length: 7.51 m ()
• Wingspan: 11.8 m ()
• Height: 2.75 m ()
• Wing area: 15.3 m² ()
• Empty weight: 325 kg ()
• Loaded weight: 610 kg ()
• Useful load: 285 kg ()
• Powerplant: 1 × Avia 3 4-cylinder air-cooled inverted straight engine, 60 hp (kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 145 km/h
• Cruise speed: 120 km/h
• Stall speed: 67 km/h ()
• Range: 750 km ()
• Wing loading: 40 kg/m² ()

References

• Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" (Polish aviation constructions 1893-1939), WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977, p. 322-323 (Polish)

External links

• Photos and drawings at Ugolok Neba