PZL.37 Łoś
| PZL.37 Łoś | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| PZL.37Abis Łoś | |
| Role | Bomber |
| Manufacturer | PZL |
| First flight | 13 December 1936 |
| Introduction | 1938 |
| Retired | 1944 (Romanian Air Force) |
| Primary users |
Polish Air Force Romanian Air Force Luftwaffe |
| Produced | 1938 - 1939 |
| Number built | over 120 |
| Variants | PZL.49 Miś |
The PZL.37 Łoś (moose) was a Polish twin-engine medium bomber, used in the defense of Poland against the Nazi German Invasion in 1939. It is also known as "PZL P-37" or "PZL P.37", but the letter "P" was generally reserved for fighters of Zygmunt Pulawski's design (such as the PZL P.11).
The PZL.37 was designed in the mid-1930s at the PZL factory in Warsaw by Jerzy Dąbrowski. The first PZL.37/I prototype, fitted with a single vertical stabilizer, flew on 13 December 1936. The second prototype PZL.37/II, with twin vertical stabilizers and other improvements, was accepted for production. The first 10 serial aircraft were produced in 1938 as the PZL.37A variant with a single vertical stabilizer, however. The next 19 interim aircraft were built as PZL.37A bis, with a twin tail. They all were powered by Bristol Pegasus XII B radial engines produced in Poland under licence.
The main production variant, the PZL.37B (or: Łoś II), was fitted with the twin tail and newer Pegasus XX engines. Production of PZL.37B for the Polish Air Force started in autumn 1938. During the initial period of PZL.37 service, 2 prototypes and 6 serial planes, were lost in crashes caused by technical problems, mostly with rudders. After some structural changes, the PZL.37B became a fully reliable aircraft. By the outbreak of World War II, about 92 PZL.37s had been produced and given to the Air Force, and a further 31 were in different phases of production.
Before the war, the PZL.37B Łoś was one of the world's most advanced bombers. It was able to carry a heavier bombload than similar aircraft, for example the Vickers Wellington, though the size of the bombs was limited. Smaller than most contemporary medium bombers, it was relatively fast and easy to handle. Thanks to a landing gear with double wheels it could operate from rough fields or meadows. Typically for the late 1930s, its defensive armament consisted of only three machine guns, which proved too weak against enemy fighters.
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