R.W.D. 8

1932

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R.W.D. 8

Most extensively built of all R.W.D. designs, the two-seat parasol-wing R.W.D.8 was first flown in prototype-form in late 1932. Its design incorporated a braced monoplane wing which had 12° of sweepback on its outer panels, fixed tailskid landing gear and open cockpits in tandem. Powerplant of the prototype was a 86kW Cirrus Hermes II, but the R.W.D.8 later appeared with a variety of engines in the 75/112kW range before production ended. Early testing showed that the aircraft had excellent performance, and about 100 were built by D.W.L from early 1934 to 1938. However, the R.W.D.8 was also selected for use as the standard primary trainer of the Polish air force, and with demands far exceeding the capability of the R.W.D. plant a manufacturing licence was granted to Podlaska Wytwornia Samolotow (P.W.S.). This company's aircraft differed slightly from the civil version, incorporating modifications requested by the Polish air force, and a total of about 500 was eventually built by P.W.S. Licences to build the R.W.D.8 were acquired also by Czechoslovakia, Estonia and Yugoslavia, but only the last country is known to have produced the type in some numbers.

In addition to full participation in sporting events during the mid- to late 1930s, the R.W.D.8 had a stirring finale to its military career in the days that followed the German invasion, even being used to harass enemy troops by dropping grenades upon them. About 60 aircraft escaped to Romania in the closing stage of the battle, many surviving the war, and others captured by German and Soviet forces also found employment in the training role.

3-View 
R.W.D. 8A three-view drawing (790 x 1018)

Specification 
 ENGINE1 x Walter Major inline piston engine, 89kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight750 kg1653 lb
  Empty weight480 kg1058 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan11.0 m36 ft 1 in
  Length8 m26 ft 3 in
  Height2.3 m8 ft 7 in
  Wing area20 m2215.28 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed175 km/h109 mph
  Ceiling5000 m16400 ft
  Range435 km270 miles

Comments
bruce knight, e-mail, 16.01.2015 10:24

iam seeking more information 'cockpit and instrument details of this aircraft if some one can help l would be very thankfull regards

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