RWD-13 | |
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RWD-13 in the Polish Aviation Museum | |
Role | Touring plane |
National origin | Poland |
Manufacturer | DWL Poland and Rogozarski Yugoslavia |
Designer | RWD team |
First flight | 15 January 1935 |
Introduction | 1935 |
Primary users |
Poland Yugoslavia Romania Brazil Israel |
Produced | 1935-1939 |
Number built | approx. 100 |
Developed from | RWD-6 |
The RWD-13 was a Polish touring plane of 1935, three-seater high-wing monoplane, designed by the RWD team. It was the biggest commercial success of the RWD.
The RWD-13 was a touring plane, developed from a line of sports planes RWD-6 (a winner of Challenge 1932 international touring aircraft contest) and RWD-9 (a winner of Challenge 1934). It was designed by Stanisław Rogalski and Jerzy Drzewiecki of the RWD team, in the DWL workshops (Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze) in Warsaw, for and order of the LOPP paramilitary organization. The prototype was constructed using parts of a broken up RWD-6 (initially it was even supposed to be designated RWD-6bis), but its construction was more similar to newer RWD-9. It first flew on January 15, 1935 (registration SP-AOA). Since the RWD-13 was not supposed to be a competition plane, the main differences from the RWD-9 were: an inline engine with lower power output, instead of a radial engine, and simpler wing mechanization. It still had advantages, like short take-off and landing and ease of flying, with good stability. By 1939, some 85 were produced.
In 1937 an air ambulance variant RWD-13S was built (prototype markings SP-BFN), with a starboard hatch for stretchers in the fuselage. There was also developed a similar universal variant RWD-13TS (or ST, or S/T), that could be converted from a touring plane to an ambulance by removing the right-hand seat. By 1939, 15 RWD-13S were made, including a few RWD-13TS. A development of the RWD-13 was the five-seater RWD-15.