RWD 11

The RWD-11 was a six passenger feeder-liner designed and built in Poland from 1932.

Development

In 1932 the Polish ministry of Transport let it be known that they wanted a multi-engined feeder-liner to operate low frequency routes with challenging. Designer Zbysław Ciołkosz was given the task and his design resulted in the PZL.27. In addition to Ciołkosz's design DWL (Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze) started the design of a competitor, with support promised by the Ministry, hoping that their design would be superior and win orders in place of the officially sanctioned PZL.27. Two airframes were built, with one intended for static testing, the low-wing cantilever monoplane was of mixed construction with a one-piece two-spar wooden wing, tapering in chord and thickness, covered with plywood forward of the mainspar and the under sides with fabric covering the rest. Four section Handley-Page automatic slats were fitted to the entire leading edges out board of the engine nacelles and differential slotted ailerons at the trailing edges. The fuselage of the RWD-11 comprised a welded chrome-molybdenum-steel tubing structure, covered with plywood from the nose, aft to the cabin door, with fabric aft of the door to the fabric covered wooden tail-section. The cockpit had excellent visibility for the two pilots who sat side by side forward of the comfortable passenger compartment which seated six in three pairs on adjustable seats, with electric lighting, controlled ventilation and controlled heating from heat exchangers on the engine exhausts. The cabin had a cargo compartment aft of the seats and could be converted to all freight or postal duties. Two retractable main undercarriage legs were fitted with oleo-pneumatic shock-absorbers, medium pressure braked Dunlop wheels, as well as the non-retractable castoring Dowty tailwheel. Provision for fitting a retractable tailwheel undercarriage was also provided.