RWD-20
| RWD 9 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| An RWD 9 during the wing folding contest at the 1934 Challenge. | |
| Role | Sport Aircraft |
| Manufacturer | DWL |
| Designer | Stanisław Rogalski and Jerzy Drzewiecki |
| First flight | 4 December 1933 |
| Introduction | 1934 |
| Primary users | Polish civilian aviation Czechoslovakia, Spain, France |
| Produced | 1933-1934 |
| Number built | 1 static test, 1 prototype, 8 production |
The RWD 9 was a Polish sports plane of 1934, constructed by the RWD team.
The aircraft was a further development of the RWD 6 - the winner of the IIIrd Challenge de Tourisme International Challenge 1932 international tourist aircraft contest. The RWD-9 was designed specially for the purpose of competing in the IVth Challenge de Tourisme International to be held in Warsaw during August–September 1934 . It was constructed by Stanisław Rogalski and Jerzy Drzewiecki of the RWD team in the DWL workshops in Warsaw. To meet new contest regulations, the new plane was designed as four-seater, with increased mass and engine power and yet better STOL capabilities.
The first prototype was completed in October 1933, with a 265 hp Menasco inline engine, and first flew on December 4, 1933. In January 1934 it was fitted with Czech Walter Bora radial engine (220 hp), and in spring 1934 with newly constructed Polish radial engine GR-760 (290 hp), created by Stanisław Nowkuński. In 1934 there were built 8 RWD 9s: 4 RWD 9W with Walter Bora engine (registrations: SP-DRA, SP-DRB, OK-AMC, OK-AMD) and 4 RWD 9S with GR-760 engine (registrations: SP-DRC, -DRD, -DRE, -DRF). RWD-9W had worse performance, comparing to RWD-9S (maximum speed 260 to 281 km/h).#
For research into Tri-cycle undercarriages D.W.L. converted the prototype RWD 9 to the RWD 20 fitting a 130 hp Walter Major engine, steerable noseleg, moving the main undercarriage legs rearwards, and removing the rear seats door and windows which were faired over with plywood. Extensive testing was carried out with take-offs, landings and taxiing on different surfaces including unprepared fields as well as ploughed land. Conversion was completed in 1938 and the flight trials proved the stability and manoeuvrability of the tri-cycle undercarriage during extensive taxiing trials, (landings and take-offs were carried out with the nosewheel steering locked). The fate of the RWD 20 is unknown but it did not survive WWII.
Six RWD 9s were used by the Polish Challenge team, while the remaining two were ordered by the Czechoslovak team (OK-AMC, -AMD). The Czechoslovak OK-AMC was crashed during trainings, and had not been repaired before the contest.
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