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PWS-22

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PWS-22, otherwise known as PWS-22BN3 was a Polish heavy bomber design created by Zbysław Ciołkosz and Antoni Uszacki of the Podlaska Wytwórnia Samolotów (PWS) factory in Biała Podlaska. Created in 1929 as a possible replacement for outdated Farman Goliath and improvised Fokker F.VII bombers in use by the Polish Army at the time, it was rejected along all other Polish designs.

History

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In early 1920s the Polish Army was seeking home-made "retribution bombers", that is heavy bombers in modern terminology.[1][2] However, all proposals by Polish aircraft manufacturers were rejected as none were deemed skilled and experienced enough to build large, complicated bombers.[1] Because of that the newly created 2nd Destroyer Squadron of the 1st Air Regiment in 1926 was equipped with 32 Farman Goliath bombers bought in France.[1] However soon it became clear that the French bomber, designed in 1918, was already obsolete. Furthermore, the Goliaths were seriously underpowered and could not fly on one engine only, a serious flaw in a bomber.[3] Because of that the Department of Air of the Ministry of Military Affairs renewed interest in a home-produced heavy bomber.[3]

As a stop-gap solution, the Polish state bought in February 1928 a license for Fokker F.VIIB/3m long-range passenger aircraft to be produced at the Lublin-based Plage i Laśkiewicz works. By the end of that year Jerzy Rudlicki of Plage i Laśkiewicz modified the design to build the plane in bomber configuration as well: windows were sealed, the passenger cabin replaced with bomb racks for up to 1,500 kilograms (3,300 lb) bombs and a single dorsal machine gun nest.[3] The plane, while mechanically sound, was but a stop-gap solution and the Polish Ministry of Military Affairs continued to seek a full-featured replacement for the Goliaths.[3]

In 1929 Plage i Laśkiewicz presented the ministry with a much heavier "flying fortress" Lublin R-XVIII design, while PWS sent two projects: PWS-22 and PWS-23.[3] Eventually all designs were rejected and the unsuccessful LWS-6 Żubr was chosen as an interim design before the modern PZL.37 Łoś could be introduced in the 1930s.[4] The PWS-22 remained a project only.

Technical description

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The PWS-22BN3 was a high parasol wing aircraft of mixed construction, with a fixed undercarriage and a crew of either three or four, all seated in open cabins.[4] The wooden wings reinforced with two girders were attached to the fuselage with a pyramid-like mounting.[4] The fuselage was to be made of steel tubes welded together and covered with plywood and canvass.[4]

Defensive armament included 5 machine guns, including two in a double nose mount, 2 in dorsal position and 1 in a ventral retractable turret.[4] The bombload was to exceed 1,360 kilograms (3,000 lb).[4]

Specifications (PWS-22BN3 projected)

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Data from [4] Polish Aircraft 1893–1939[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3
  • Length: 19.5 m (64 ft 0 in)
  • Wingspan: 28 m (91 ft 10 in)
  • Height: 6 m (19 ft 8 in)
  • Wing area: 112 m2 (1,210 sq ft)
  • Airfoil: Bobeck-Zdaniewski No.4 (Göttingen 648)
  • Empty weight: 2,993 kg (6,598 lb)
  • Gross weight: 5,600 kg (12,346 lb)
  • Useful load:' 2,607 kg (5,747.5 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Gnome-Rhône 9Ab 9-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engines 313.2–335.6 kW (420–450 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 200 km/h (120 mph, 110 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 160 km/h (99 mph, 86 kn)
  • Stall speed: 73 km/h (45 mph, 39 kn)
  • Wing loading: 50 kg/m2 (10 lb/sq ft)
  • Power/mass: 0.115 kW/kg (0.07 hp/lb)

Armament

  • Guns: 5 x machine gun (2 in nose mount, 2 in dorsal mount, 1 in a ventral retractable turret)
  • Bombs: 1360 kg

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Samoloty firmy Plage&Laśkiewicz". www.jura-pilica.com (in Polish). Jura-Pilica. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  2. ^ a b Jerzy B. Cynk (1971). Polish Aircraft 1893–1939. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-00085-4.
  3. ^ a b c d e Janusz Dołęga. Monika Śliwińska (ed.). "Samoloty firmy Plage i Laśkiewicz". Leksykon Lublin (in Polish). Lublin: Ośrodek Brama Grodzka. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Krzysztof Luto (2010). "PWS-22B3N, 1929". Samoloty w Lotnictwie Polskim (in Polish). Suwałki.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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