Work in progress!
Tier | Fighter | Heavy Fighter | Attack |
I | P.Z.L. P.1 (09/1929) | ||
II | P.Z.L. P.11 (08/1931) | ||
III |
P.Z.L. P.24/I (10/1933) PZL P.24A-G (05/1937-1939) P.Z.L. P.11g (08/1939) |
P.Z.L. 38 Wolf (2 completed) | P.Z.L. 23 Crucian Carp (04/1934) |
IV |
P.24H (1939) P.Z.L. P.45 Falcon (started 11/1938) P.W.S. 42 Falcon (1939) R.W.D. 25 Falcon (started 07/1939) P.Z.L. P.50/I Hawk (02/1939) IAR 80 (04/1939+ Romania) |
P.Z.L. 43 (02/1937 for export) | |
V |
P.Z.L. P.50/II Hawk (projected - Jakimiuk) |
P.Z.L. 48 Leopard (projected - Misztal/Jakimiuk) |
P.Z.L. 46 Catfish (projected - Prauss) P.W.S. 46? (projected - Ciokosz) R.W.D. 24 (projected) |
VI |
P.Z.L. P.53 (projected - Jakimiuk) |
||
VII |
P.Z.L. P.55 (projected - Dubrowski) P.W.S. 36 (projected - Bobek-Zdaniewski) |
P.Z.L. 54 Lynx (projected - Misztal/Tarczynski) P.W.S. 37 (projected - Bobek-Zdaniewski) |
P.Z.L. __ Salmon (projected - Prauss) Westland Welkin (11/1942 - Prauss in England) |
VIII | P.Z.L. P.56 Kitty Hawk (projected - Jakimiuk) | ||
IX |
de Havilland DH.113 Vampire (08/1949 - Jakimiuk in Canada) -- night fighter variant intended for export -- Goblin 3 3350lb thrust // 4x20mm
de Havilland DH.112 Sea Venom (03/1953 - Jakimiuk in Canada) -- for Great Britain and France |
de Havilland DH.112 Sea Venom (03/1953 - Prauss in England) -- for Great Britain and France |
|
X |
SNCASE SE.5000 Baroudeur (08/1953 - Jakimiuk in France) Folland Gnat (08/1954 - Dubrowski in England)
LIM-2 (1954+ - licensed MiG-15bis) |
F.M. 13 (1954 - Misztal) |
de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen (03/1953 - Prauss in England)
|
Timeline
02/1919 -- Polish-Soviet War start. (Wikipedia)
03/1921 -- Polish-Soviet War end. (Wikipedia)
05/1925 -- Wladyslaw Zalewski establishes office in Warsaw to begin work on detailed drawings for the W.Z.X. "The W.Z.X was the first combat aircraft of domestic origin to be completed and flown in independent Poland. In spite of promising trials and excellent characteristics, the machine was not ordered into quantity production. Personal conflict and the persuasiveness of the Potez engineers in charge of license-production of Potez biplanes in Poland seemed to be the cause of this decision." (Cynk, 110-112)
05/1926 -- plans drawn up to turn C.W.L. into a greatly expanded aircraft factory. (Cynk, 108)
08/1926 -- W.Z.X-1 prototype first flight with Lorraine-Dietrich W-type 450hp engine. (Cynk, 111)
__/1927 -- W.Z.X. three pre-production aircraft completed in 1927. W.Z.X-2 and W.Z.X-3 powered by Lorraine-Dietrich 450hp engines, W.Z.X-4 powered by Bristol Jupiter 530hp with 4-blade airscrew designed by Zalewski. "All three aircraft were fully armed and, during Service evaluation trials, proved superior on almost every count to comparable license-built and imported foreign aircraft used by the Lotnictwo Wojskowe." (Cynk, 111)
__/1927 -- C.W.L. quantity production ofSpad 61 C1 fighter biplane. (Cynk, 108)
11/1927 -- first Skoda-built (Polish Skoda Works) engine built 11/22/1927, Lorraine-Dietrich 12E 450hp. "The Polish Skoda Works were very efficient and the quality of its license-built engines excellent." (Cynk, 121)
01/1928 -- C.W.L. reorganized and officially turned into P.Z.L. (Panstwowe Zaklady Lotnicze). [P.Z.L. = National Aviation Establishments] (Cynk, 108-118)
01/1929 -- P.Z.L. construction of P.1 prototypes begins. (Cynk, 124)
09/1929 -- P.Z.L. P.1 first official flight 09/25/1929 with Hispano-Suiza 600hp vee engine. (Cynk, 124)
02/1930 -- P.Z.L. P.1 2nd prototype first flight, "representative of the production model, the P.1a". (Cynk, 125)
06/1930 -- P.Z.L. P.1 2nd prototype foreign debut at International Fighter Contest staged by Rumanian Air Force in Bucharest, "outperformed such competitors as the Dewoitine D.27, the Fokker D.XV, and Letov Smolik 31, the Bristol Bulldog and others, gaining 8 first places out of a possible 15, but due to various pressure the Rumanians compiled the results in such a manner that the P.1 was placed only 4th in the final classification. These frantic attempts to play the aircraft down were perhaps the highest tribute to it and did not diminish the impact the fighter had made upon foreign observers ... The Pulawski-wing interceptor, pioneered by the P.1, was copied in many countries throughout the world, and the principle of the scissor-type undercarriage survived the war and was put to good use on some Polish lightplanes of the late 'fourties." (Cynk, 125-126)
08/1930 -- P.Z.L. P.6 first flight. (Cynk, 148)
10/1930 -- P.Z.L. P.7 first flight. (Cynk, 148)
03/1931 -- Zygmunt Pulawski, designer of the P.1, tragically killed 03/21/1931. (Cynk, 156)
08/1931 -- P.Z.L. P.11 first flight. (Cynk)
12/1931 -- P.Z.L. P.11/II first flight. (Cynk)
02/1932 -- Zygmunt Pulawski's successor, Wsiewolod Jakimiuk proposes aircraft stressed to take radial engines of 700-1000hp; Gnome-Rhone 14Kds radial selected as recommended powerplant. (Cynk, 201)
04/1932 -- authorization given to Jakimiuk to proceed with detailed study of new model designated P.24, to become the ultimate development of the long line of Pulawski-wing fighters. (Cynk, 201)
06/1932 -- P.Z.L. P.11/III first flight. (Cynk)
__/1932 -- decision made to relocate P.Z.L. to Okecie-Paluch, where a new factory was built, known as Wytwórnia Platowców No. 1, or W.P.1 [Airframe Plant No.1]. (Cynk)
05/1933 -- PLZ P.24 first flight. Export version of P.11 (Wikipedia)
__/1934 -- work begins by P.Z.L. at W.P.1 on manufacture of wings and final assembly of P.11c fighters. "During the five years of its existence, from the autumn of 1934 to the autumn of 1939, the factory manufactured some 750 all-metal aircraft, mainly of the P.11c, P.24, P.23 Karas (Crucian-carp) and P.37 Los (Elk) type, producing an average of 150 machines a year, but its normal maximum output was estimated at double that figure. Over a quarter of its production went for export." (Cynk, 120)
01/1936 -- Skoda Works, having been purchased by Polish government, officially becomes P.Z.L. Wytwornia Silnikow No.1, or W.S.1. [Aero-engine plant No.1]. Employed 3,500 people, possessed 600 modern lathes and manufactured on average 300 high-powered engines per year. Over 2,000 engines manufactured by Polish Skoda Works and W.S.1 (combined) between 1930 and 1939. "In addition to a large number of 220hp Wright J.5 Whirlwhind radials ... the establishment turned out some 250 Jupiter, 500 Mercury and 750 Pegasus radials. The W.S.1 had 900 more Mercury and Pegasus engines on order and was preparing to start manufacture of the 1,375 hp Hercules when the war broke out. Development of Polish-designed powerplants began in the late 'twenties and these included the 500-550hp S.29 Mamut (Mammoth) 9-cylinder air-cooled radial; and engines built to the design of Stanislaw Nowkunski, the 110hp G.594, the 280hp GR.760 and the 420-470hp G.1620 Mors (Walrus) series radial engines, and the 420-620hp Foka (Seal) inverted-vee engine. The only indigenous engine to be manufactured in quantity was the G.1620, some 150 of th eMors A and B series radials being completed. Three more Polish-designed powerplants: a double-row derivative of the Mors, the 900hp P.Z.L. Legwan; the 1200-1400hp P.Z.L. Waran radial; and the 900hp 12-cylinder edition of the Foka; were in various stages of development in 1939." (Cynk, 121)
10/1938 -- P.Z.L. second factory, W.P.2, completed at Mielec, to have estimated yearly output of 450 aircraft. "By summer 1939 the W.P.2 employed some 700 people and was engaged on assembly of P.37 Los bombers from the parts supplied by the W.P.1. Full working was to begin in the winter of 1939-1940." (Cynk, 120)
03/1939 -- P.Z.L. production brought to near stand-still following resignation of Gen Rayski, and replacement by Gen Jozef Zajac. Zajac cancelled the P.37 Los program, and P.50 Jastzab (Hawk) program. "In the six months before the outbreak of the war, apart from completion of some 50 P.37 Los bombers which were at too advanced a stage of production to be stopped, P.Z.L. manufactured only 68 aircraft (42 P.43B's and 26 P.24F's), all of which were intended for Bulgaria! Zajac's program envisaged production of 500 single-seat fighters (P.11g Kobuz (Hobby) and P.24H) and 300 P.46 Sum (Sheat-fish) light reconnaissance bombers in two years. The fighters were to be built at P.Z.L. and P.W.S., and the Sums at P.Z.L. In preparation for this work the W.P.1 began [07/1939-08/1939] to reengage the works who had been laid-off earlier due to cuts in the P.37 and P.50 orders. In the final weeks before the war the W.P.1 was instructed to put off production of the Sum, which according to some sources was to be entrusted to the W.P.2, and give top priority to the manufacture of the fighters, including the P.45A Sokol (Falcon), which was approved for immediate production. As far as is known, no firm decisions were taken concerning production of other types of aircraft. On top of the orders for the Lotnictwo Wojskowe, the P.Z.L. production program for the years 1939-1940 included manufacture of 120 P.24 fighters, 12 P.46 Sum light reconnaissance-bombers and 75 P.37 Los medium bombers to foreign contracts, which were negotiated in the middle of 1939." (Cynk, 120-121)
__/1939 -- "In the late spring of 1939 the Wytwornia Silnikow No.2, or W.S.2, (Aero-engine Plant No.2) at Rzeszow ... with an estimated normal yearly outpout of 450 high-powered engines, was beginning operations with the manufacture of the 110hp P.Z.Inz Junior and the 130hp P.Z.Inz Major inline engines (under Walter license), large-scale production of Hispano-Suiza liquid-cooled vee engines being envisaged as its major future task. At the outbreak of the war the W.S.2 employed some 800 people." (Cynk, 122)
08/1939 -- P.Z.L. P.11g first flight 08/15/1939. (Cynk, 168)
09/1939 -- German invasion of Poland 09/01/1939. (Wikipedia)
09/1939 -- first Luftwaffe raider to be destroyed = Junkers Ju 87 shot down by P.11c 09/01/1939. (Cynk, 169)
09/1939 -- P.Z.L.'s W.P.1 factory captured by Germans 09/08/1939, reorganized/renamed as Brandenburgische Werke-Warschau for repair of captured Polish aircraft; later served as maintenance base for Luftwaffe. (Cynk, 122)
09/1939 -- P.Z.L.'s W.P.2 factory captured 09/13/1939, reorganized/renamed as Flugzeugwerke-Mielec (F.W.M.). Factory taken over by Heinkel for manufacture of He 111, He 177, He 219. Low output due to continual sabotage by Polish workers. (Cynk, 122)
09/1939 -- "On [09/17/1939], when the Russians attack Poland's rear, the airworthy remnants of the Polish fighter force, 38 P.11 and P.7 interceptors, were evacuated to Rumania." (Cynk, 169-170)
09/1939 -- P.Z.L.'s W.S.1 aero-engine plant damaged but restored by Germans to overhaul captured Polish engines. Engines such as Pegasus XX then purchased by Sweden. Factory later used to repair/maintain Argus, BMW, Junkers engines. (Cynk, 122)
10/1939 -- German invasion of Poland complete 10/06/1939. (Wikipedia)
10/1939 -- Polish Government in Exile formed. Air arm with 20 combat squadrons to be based in Great Britain or France. (Cynk, 94)
__/1939 -- W.J. Jakimiuk to France to work with SNCASE. (Flight Magazine 10/26/1956, p.673)
__/1940 -- W.J. Jakimiuk to Canada; becomes chief designer of de Havilland Aircraft of Canada, Ltd. (Flight Magazine 10/13/1949, p.485)
05/1940 -- German invasion of France 05/10/1940. (Wikipedia)
05/1940 -- Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain founded 05/18/1940. (Wikipedia) --> Caudron C.714
06/1940 -- German invasion of France complete 06/25/1940. (Wikipedia)
06/1944 -- Invasion of Normandy begins 06/06/1944. (Wikipedia)
07/1944 -- Germans evacuate W.P.1. Equipment sent to Germany, and buildings demolished. (Cynk, 122)
07/1944 -- Germans evacuate W.P.2. "Vastly expanded after the war, the establishment is now the most important aircraft production center in Poland." (Cynk, 122)
05/1945 -- Victory in Europe Day 05/08/1945. (Wikipedia)
__/1945 -- Poland under communist control.
__/1946 -- PAF squadrons abroad disbanded; most (of ~14,900 men and women) did not return to Poland due to communist control.
10/1949 -- W.J. Jakimiuk resigns from de Havilland Aircraft of Canada, Ltd. "Among successful designs which Mr. Jakimiuk had been responsible are the Chipmunk trainer and the Beaver bush transport; and his recent activities included development of the DH.113, night fighter version of the Vampire. Before the war, he designed the series of P.Z.L. fighters, which were adopted by the air forces of five European countries, and the 14-passenger twin-engined Wicher transport for Lot, the Polish airline." (Flight Magazine 10/13/1949, p.485); "War-time production of the [de Havilland Canada] Downsview plant was 1,747 Tigers, 1,032 Mosquitos and 375 Ansons. // After the war ... W. Jakimiuk, late of the Polish PZL aircraft factory, tackled the problems of making a trainer and a bush-plane, the Chipmunk [replacement for Tiger Moth] and the Beaver -- the success of which needs no telling. It is sufficient to say that to date 153 Chipmunks and over 160 Beavers have been built and sold. // ... // In addition to design and manufacture ... Downsview is largely occupied on other work ... Vampires are being repaired or overhauled ..." (Flight Magazine 05/23/1952, p.629); The fuselage of the Vampire trainer adapted to night fighter was transplanted to the Sea Venom. (Flight Magazine 06/26/1953, p.812); The DH.113 was Britain's first jet-powered night fighter, built as a private venture. (Flight Magazine 09/22/1949, p.376); "responsible for development of Vampire and Venom night fighters." (Flight Magazine 10/26/1956, p.673)
__/1951 -- W.J. Jakimiuk returns to France to work with SNCASE as director of special research, responsible for SE.5000 Baroudeur. (Flight Magazine 10/26/1956, p.673)
08/1953 -- first flight of the SNCASE SE.5000 Baroudeur in France, a private venture, designed by Polish aircraft designer W.J. Jakimiuk. Prototype 2 achieved supersonic flight 05/1954-06/1954. (Flight Magazine, 08/06/1954, p.182-183)
__/1955 -- Warsaw Pact
__/1955 -- Dąbrowski to United States; worked with Cessna Aircraft Co., Stanley Aviation, Boeing. (Wikipedia)
Designers
Zygmunt Pulawski
-- P.1
-- P.6
-- P.7
-- P.11
-- P.24
-- died while testing P.12
Wsiewolod Jakimiuk
-- (01/05/1902 Kozyno, Poland - 09/1991 Paris, France). (Polish Wikipedia)
-- attended the Sorbonne and graduated from École Supérieure d’Aéronautique in Paris with degree in Aerospace Engineering 1929. (Polish Wikipedia)
-- returned to Poland 1930. (Polish Wikipedia)
-- after death of Pulawski 03/1931 took over PZL fighter projects. (Polish Wikipedia)
-- P.50, P.53, P.56
-- evacuated to Romania, then to France. (Polish Wikipedia)
-- joined SNCASE and led Polish engineering team. (Polish Wikipedia)
-- helped work on SNCASE SE.100 and LeO-45. (Polish Wikipedia)
-- continued work in Canada, England, France
-- DHC-1 Chipmunk trainer in 1946 (1,292 built) in Canda
-- DHC-3 Beaver transport in 1947 (1,718 built) in Canada
-- DH.112 Venom in 1948 (381 built) in England
-- SE.5000 Baroudeur fighter in France
Jerzy Dabrowski
-- PZL.37 Los and laminar wing
-- P.62 (speculative designation for P.55)
-- helped develop Folland Gnat in Great Britain 1954-1955
Franciszek Misztal
-- studied at Lviv Polytechnic; doctorate 1929 Technical University in Aachen. (Wikipedia)
-- 1928 constructor at PZL. (Wikipedia)
-- chief designer of PZL.38 Wilk. (Wikiipedia)
-- contributor to PZL.23 Karas, PZL.19, PZL.26 (Wikiipedia)
-- inventor of the casson structure with corrugated wings. (Wikiipedia)
-- FM-13 Delta (1954)
Stanislaw Prauss
-- PZL.23
Aleksander Grzedzielski and Augustyn Bobek-Zdaniewski
-- P.W.S. 10M -- 258 km/h
-- P.W.S. 15
Augustyn Bobek-Zdaniewski
-- P.W.S. 36 -- single-seat fighter-bomber -- 4 wing-mounted guns -- 4x50kg bombs -- 600 km/h est.
-- P.W.S. 37 -- two-seat fighter bomber -- 570 km/h est.
Zygmunt Jablonski assisted by Kazimierz Nowicki
-- P.W.S. 42 Sokol (Falcon) -- single-seat fighter -- 4x7.7mm -- 520-550 km/h
Zbyslaw Ciolkosz
-- P.W.S. 46? -- two-seat twin-engine twin-fuselage light-bomber/ground attack -- up to 1000kg internal -- 450-500 km/h @ SL
Oderfeld, Sachs and Bernadzikiewicz
-- ramjet patents
-- 1st ram-jet engine begun 1933
-- 2nd ram-jet engine successful test bench run 1933
-- continued 1936; halted due to lack of funds
-- P.Z.L. displayed interest, Oderfeld continued to investigate and put forth ideas; terminated due to war
Prof Maria Zbigniew Krzywoblocki
-- jet/rocket research beginning 1933
-- RATO investigation published 10/1936 -- "the first calculations to be published anywhere in the world"
-- missile bomb implications published 1938; republished in Great Britain 03/1944.
Prof Mieczyslaw Wolfke and Prof Gustaw Mokrzycki
-- piston- and rocket-powered missiles tested 1936
-- Mokrzycki = Professor of Flight Mechanics and Aircraft Building at Warsaw Technical University (1933-09/1939)
-- Mokrzycki experimented with flying wings (P.Z.L. 22) and later worked with Convair, North American, Ryan in U.S.A.
-- "Mokrzycki was responsible for the overall concept and aerodynamic design of the Ryan X-13 Vertijet, and contributed to the development of such advanced types as the Convair deltas, including the XF-92, F-102 and B-58 Hustler, and the North American X-10, and the Navaho and Hound Dog missiles." (Cynk, 185)
-- Mokrzycki to Canada 1939. (Polish Wikipedia)
Antoni Gabriel
-- began work on small six-chamber turbojet at end of 1937
-- spun up by a piston engine; showed great promise during initial bench runs
Sources
General
Fighters Between the Wars 1919-1939, by Kenneth Munson (Blandford 1970)
Polish Aircraft 1893-1939, by Jerzy B. Cynk (Putnam 1971)
Polish Air Force 1939-1945, by Dr. Jan Koniarek (Squadron/Signal 1994)
The Polish Air Force At War - The Official History - 1939-1943, by Jerzy B. Cynk (Schiffer 1998)
Polish Aces of World War 2, by Robert Gretzyngier and Wojtek Matusiak (Osprey 1998)
White Eagles - The Aircraft, Men and Operations of the Polish Air Force 1918-1939, by Bartlomiej Belcarz & Robert Peczkowski (Hikoki 2001)
International Warbirds - An Illustrated Guide to World Military Aircraft 1914-2000, by John C. Fredriksen (2001)
Specific
PZL Fighters - Part One - P.1 through P.8, by Warren A. Eberspacher and Jan P. Koniarek (Phalanx 1995)
PZL P.11C, by Bartlomiej Belcarz and Tomasz J. Kopanski (Stratus 2003)
PZL.23 Karas, by Jerzy B. Cynk (Profile 1966)
PZL.23 Karas, by Tomasz J. Kopanski (Stratus 2004)
PZL P.24 A-G, by Andrzej Glass (Kagero)
Polish Wings 1 - SPAD 61C1, SPAD 51C1, Wibault 70C1, by Bartlomiej Belcarz and Wojciech Sankowski (Stratus 2004)
Polish Wings 2 - Morane MS 406 C1, Caudron C 714 C1 Cyclone, Bloch MB 151/152 C1, by Bartlomiej Belcarz (Stratus 2007)
Polish Wings 3 - PWS-10, Avia BH-33, PZL P.7a, by Bartlomiej Belcarz and Tomasz J. Kopanski (Stratus 2009)
Polish Wings 4 - Hawker Hurricane, by Robert Gretzyngier (Stratus)
MiG-15 All Variants, by Yefim Gordon
Andrzej Morgała
Edited by J311yfish, 12 July 2019 - 11:07 AM.