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The RWD-14 Czapla (LWS Czapla) was a Polish army cooperation aircraft (observation, close reconnaissance and liaison aircraft), designed in the mid-1930s by the RWD team, and produced in the LWS factory from 1938. A series of 65 aircraft were built and most were used by the Polish Air Force observation squadrons during World War II in 1939.
Design and development
The aircraft was designed in response to a Polish Air Force requirement of 1933 for a new army cooperation plane, a successor of the Lublin R-XIII. The RWD team of the DWL workshops (Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze) initially proposed the RWD-12 project, based on the RWD-8 trainer. It was however considered as not as good as the R-XIII, and was not built. Another aircraft, the RWD-14 was designed by Stanislaw Rogalski and Jerzy Drzewiecki instead. Designer Tadeusz Chyliński prepared its technical documentation.
The first prototype was flown in early 1936 (according to newest research, earlier given date December 1935 is wrong). It won the contest over the Lublin R-XXI project and the PWS factory project, but factory trials showed that its performance was still not satisfactory. In 1937 two modified prototypes were built, designated RWD-14a, but both crashed during trials that year due to steering mechanism faults (the pilots survived).
By the invasion of Poland in 1939, the Polish Air Force had 35 Czaplas in five observation squadrons (out of twelve): No.'s 13, 23, 33, 53 and 63, each with seven aircraft. Like the R-XIII, the Czapla was no match for any Luftwaffe fighter, bomber, or even reconnaissance aircraft, being much slower, and armed with only two machine guns. In spite of this, they were actively used for close reconnaissance and liaison tasks.
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General characteristics
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|crew=2
|capacity= useful load
|length m=9
|length note=
|span m=11.9
|span note=
|height m=3
|height note=
|wing area sqm=22
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=1225
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=1700
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
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Powerplant
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|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=PZL G-1620B Mors-II
|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine
|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 hp=470
|eng1 note=at 2,375 rpm for take-off
:::: at 2,150 rpm at sea level
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=Szomański fixed-pitch propeller
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
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Performance
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|max speed kmh=247
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=232
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=80
|stall speed note=ca
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=675
|range note=
|combat range km=
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|ferry range km=
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|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=5100
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=6.1
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=77
|wing loading note=
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Armament
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|armament=
- 1 × fixed, forward-firing 7.92 mm wz.33 machine gun
- 1 × flexible, rearward-firing 7.7 mm Vickers K machine gun for observer
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