RWD 1

The RWD 1 was the first aircraft constructed by the RWD team of Stanisław Rogalski, Stanisław Wigura and Jerzy Drzewiecki in the Aviation Section of Mechanic Students' Club of Warsaw University of Technology. It was designed in late 1927. The plane was built with a financial help of the LOPP organization. One prototype was built for static trials, and one flying prototype (registration SP-ACC), completed and flown by the designer Jerzy Drzewiecki in September 1928.

Its unusual feature was a unique, fish-shaped fuselage, similar to early Messerschmitt's designs (M17). Two crewmen sat in tandem inside the fuselage and had only side openings in its upper part. In front of the pilot's head there was an upper part of the fuselage, supporting wings, limiting his view forward, though its profile was thin. This shape was repeated in following RWD designs. The aircraft was evaluated as a quite good design, with an original construction. It had high glide ratio of 12, and its payload was bigger than its empty weight. It was not built in any quantities, but gave a basis to further more successful RWD designs: RWD 2, RWD 3, RWD 4, RWD 7, and, partly RWD 5.

The prototype took part in the 2nd Polish Light Aircraft Contest in 1928, but did not complete it due to engine breakdown. In 1929 it took part in an air rally around Poland. It was scrapped in winter of 1929/1930.

Wooden construction single-engine high-wing cantilever monoplane, conventional in layout. The fuselage rectangular in cross-section, narrowing in upper part, plywood covered. Single-spar one-part trapezoid wings, covered with canvas and plywood in front. Cantilever empennage, covered with plywood (stabilizers) and canvas (rudder and elevators). The crew of two sat in tandem. The crew cockpits were open on the sides in upper part, and had individual doors (first cockpit on the right, second one on the left). A 2-cylinder air-cooled 40 hp ABC Scorpion II boxer engine (34 hp nominal power) was in front, driving two-blade wooden propeller Szomański (1.5 m diameter). Conventional fixed landing gear, sprung with a rubber rope, with a rear skid. Fuel tank in fuselage front (fuel consumption 9 L/h).

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{{Aircraft specs

|ref=samoloty.ow : RWD 1,{{cite web |last1=Szewczyk |first1=Witold |last2=Postek |first2=Roman |title=RWD 1 |url=http://www.samoloty.ow.pl/str383.htm |website=samoloty.ow |access-date=20 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504014355/http://www.samoloty.ow.pl/str383.htm |archive-date=4 May 2007 |language=pl |date=2002}} Polish aircraft 1893-1939{{cite book |last1=Cynk |first1=Jerzy B |title=Polish aircraft 1893-1939 |publisher=Putnam |date=1971 |isbn=0-370-00085-4 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/polishaircraft1800cynk/page/487 487-494] |url=https://archive.org/details/polishaircraft1800cynk/page/487 }}

|prime units?=met

|crew=1

|capacity=1 passenger / second pilot {{cvt|211|kg|0}}

|length m=6

|length note=

|span m=9.8

|span note=

|height m=1.7

|height note=

|wing area sqm=13.6

|wing area note=

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=206

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=417

|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight kg=

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=ABC Scorpion II

|eng1 type=2-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine

|eng1 hp=34

|eng1 note=nominal

::::{{cvt|40|hp|kW|order=flip}} for take-off

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=Szomański fixed-pitch wooden propeller

|prop dia m=1.5

|prop dia note=

|max speed kmh=135

|max speed note=

|cruise speed kmh=115

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=65

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed note=

|range km=500

|range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=

|ceiling m=1950

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|climb rate ms=1.8

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=

|wing loading kg/m2=30.66

|wing loading note=

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|power/mass={{cvt|0.0705|kW/kg}}

|more performance=

• Take-off run: {{cvt|100|m|0}}
• Landing run: {{cvt|130|m|0}}

}}

{{aircontent|

|related=

• RWD 2, RWD 3, RWD 4, RWD 7

|similar aircraft=

• Messerschmitt M17

|lists=

|see also=

}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last1=Glass|first1=Andrzej|title=Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893–1939|date=1977|publisher=WKiŁ|location=Warsaw|language=pl}}

{{commons category|RWD 1}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070504014355/http://www.samoloty.ow.pl/str383.htm Photos and description (in Polish)]

{{RWD aircraft}}

Category:1920s Polish sport aircraft

RWD 01

Category:High-wing aircraft

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1928

Category:Single-engined piston aircraft

Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear