RWD (aircraft manufacturer) facts for kids

RWD was a Polish company that built airplanes. It was active between 1928 and 1939. The company started with three young designers: Stanisław Rogalski, Stanisław Wigura, and Jerzy Drzewiecki. The first letter of their last names formed the name RWD.

History of RWD Airplanes

Jerzy Drzewiecki and Jerzy Wedrychowski next to the RWD-7 airplane.

The three founders began their work while studying at Warsaw University of Technology. In 1925, they set up workshops with other students. These workshops were part of the Aviation Section of the Mechanics Students' Club. Here, they built their first airplane designs.

From 1926, they designed several aircraft on their own. These included the Drzewiecki JD-2 and the WR-1. In 1928, they decided to work together as one team. Their first joint project was the RWD-1 sports plane.

Besides building planes, Jerzy Drzewiecki also tested their designs as a pilot. Stanisław Wigura flew as a mechanic in airplane competitions. In 1930, the team moved to new workshops. These were located in the Okęcie area of Warsaw, close to the Okęcie airport. This airport is now known as Warsaw International Airport. The workshops were set up by a group called LOPP.

Sadly, on September 11, 1932, Stanisław Wigura died in a plane crash. This happened while he was flying an RWD-6 during a storm. Even after his death, the RWD name continued to be used for new airplane designs. Some people say the "W" in RWD then stood for engineer Jerzy Wędrychowski. However, he was not one of the original designers.

The RWD-6 airplane at the Challenge 1932 competition.

In 1933, Rogalski, Drzewiecki, and Wędrychowski started a company. It was called Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze (DWL), which means Experimental Aeronautical Works. This company in Warsaw then built all the future RWD aircraft. Other designers also joined the team. These included Tadeusz Chyliński, Bronisław Żurakowski, Leszek Dulęba, and Andrzej Anczutin.

At first, the RWD team focused on designing small, light sport planes. Their early designs, the RWD-2 and RWD-4, were built in small numbers. They were used in Polish sports aviation. These planes also made their first appearance at the Challenge 1930 international contest.

RWD planes did very well in competitions. The RWD-6 won the Challenge 1932 contest. Later, RWD-9 planes won the Challenge 1934 international contest. The RWD-5 sport plane was also special. In 1933, it became the lightest plane to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.

Three types of RWD planes were produced in large numbers:

• The RWD-8 became the main training plane for the Polish Air Force.
• The RWD-13 was a popular touring plane.
• The RWD-14 Czapla was a reconnaissance plane, used for looking at things from the sky.

Other important designs included the RWD-10 aerobatic plane from 1933. This plane was made for performing stunts in the air. The RWD-17 was an aerobatic and trainer plane from 1937. The RWD-21 was a light sport plane from 1939.

World War II stopped any further development of RWD designs. It also ended the RWD design bureau and the DWL production factory.

Types of RWD Aircraft

The RWD-8 airplane.

The RWD-13 airplane.

The RWD-17W airplane.