Drzewiecki JD-2
| JD-2 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Role | Sports plane |
| Manufacturer | Warsaw University of Technology workshops |
| Designer | Jerzy Drzewiecki |
| First flight | October 5, 1926 |
| Introduction | 1927 |
| Retired | 1936 |
| Primary user | Poland |
| Number built | 5 |
The JD-2 was a Polish sports plane of 1926. It was the first sports plane designed in Poland, that was built in a small series.
The JD-2 was the first aircraft constructed by the Aviation Section of the Mechanic Students' Club of the Warsaw University of Technology (later a home of the RWD design team). The main designer was Jerzy Drzewiecki, hence a designation JD. The aircraft was designed in late 1925, around an available Anzani engine. It was the only plane of Drzewiecki's individual design and to carry JD designation, as he later worked as a member of the RWD team.
The prototype, with a workshop number SL-4, was built in 1926 and first flown on October 4, 1926 in Warsaw. During landing, a fuel pipe broke and the aircraft burned, injuring the military pilot Kazimierz Kalina. The pilot, however, expressed a good opinion on its handling, so the second modified aircraft was built (SL-6), and one more airframe for static trials (SL-5).
The second prototype SL-6 was flown on June 26, 1927. Its handling was however not too good, it was also 90 kg heavier, than estimated. It was given a registration P-PSLA, from 1929: SP-ACA.
In 1929 two more aircraft of an improved variant JD-2bis were built for aero clubs, with a financial help of LOPP paramilitary organization. It had changed fuselage front, wing tips and a tail fin (SL-14 and 15, registration numbers: SP-ACD and ACF). In 1930 there was built one more JD-2bis (SL-20, SP-ADP). It was later fitted with a stronger radial engine 80 hp Armstrong Siddeley Genet.
The second JD-2 (SP-ACA) was used by the Warsaw Aero Club. Flown by Kazimierz Kalina, it won in the 1st Polish Light Aircraft Contest in October 1929, and flown by Worledge it took the 7th place in the 2nd Contest the following year. In 1929 it was bought by a private owner Pawłowski, who crashed it that year. Next it was repaired and bought by Captain Zbigniew Babiński, who used it for touring flying - by 1931 the plane visited 225 airfields, evident from inscriptions on its fuselage. The plane was written off in August 1935.
...
Wikipedia