PWS-21
title: "PWS-21" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1930s-polish-airliners", "pws-aircraft", "single-engined-tractor-aircraft", "high-wing-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1930", "aircraft-with-fixed-conventional-landing-gear"] topic_path: "geography/poland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PWS-21" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | PWS-21 |
| image | File:PWS-21 bis 02.jpg |
| aircraft_type | Passenger aircraft |
| manufacturer | PWS |
| status | prototype |
| primary_user | Polish civilian aviation (LOT Polish Airlines) |
| number_built | 1 |
| first_flight | April 1930 |
| :: |
| name = PWS-21 | logo = | logo_size = | image = File:PWS-21 bis 02.jpg | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Passenger aircraft | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = | manufacturer = PWS | design_group = | designer = | builder = | issuer = | status = prototype | owners = | primary_user = Polish civilian aviation (LOT Polish Airlines) | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 1 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = April 1930 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded =
The PWS-21 was a Polish passenger aircraft for 4 passengers, built in PWS factory in 1930, that remained a prototype.
Development
The aircraft was developed for a contest for a successor of Junkers F-13 in LOT Polish Airlines. The first design of 1929, named PWS-21, developed by Stanisław Cywiński and Jarosław Naleszkiewicz, was a braced high-wing plane, but it was not realized because LOT demanded bigger passenger cab.
The next design, named PWS-21bis, was a cantilever high-wing plane, similar to Fokker F.VIIa/1m design. The only prototype (markings SP-AEC) first flew in the spring, probably April 1930 in Biała Podlaska. Its counterpart was Lublin R-XI.
The plane appeared not successful. It was too heavy, what resulted in poor speed, ceiling and range, and long take off. In 1931 it was evaluated in LOT airlines, but after a test flight it was returned to the factory. However, at that time there was its development, PWS-24 built, sharing the same lightweight wing, which was ordered by LOT.
Description (PWS-21bis)
High-wing cantilever monoplane of mixed construction, with closed cab and single engine. A fuselage made of a steel frame, covered with canvas. Straight one-piece wooden wing, with elliptical endings, plywood covered, two-spar. Crew of two (pilot and mechanic), in a cabin before the wing, with twin controls. The cabin had a vertical front windshield and doors on both sides. Next and slightly below in a fuselage, under the wing, there was a cabin for 4 passengers, with a door on the left. The cabin had a toilet. The fifth passenger could be taken instead of the mechanic. 9 cylinder radial engine Skoda Wright Whirlwind J-5 (240 hp take-off power, 220 hp nominal power) in the fuselage front, fitted with a Townend ring. Two-blade metal propeller of a fixed pitch. Conventional landing gear, with a rear skid; struts with shock absorbers joined the main gear with wings. Fuel tanks 250 L in central wing section.
Specifications (PWS-21bis)
|ref=Polish aircraft 1893-1939 |prime units?=met General characteristics
|crew=1 (optionally 2) |capacity=4 pax / 683 kg |length m=9.65 |length note= |span m=15 |span note= |height m=3.2 |height note= |wing area sqm=31.75 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg=1300 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg=2000 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general= Powerplant
|eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Skoda-Wright Whirlwind J-5 |eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine |eng1 hp=220 |eng1 note=
|prop blade number=2 |prop name=AWK Type C fixed-pitch metal propeller |prop dia m= |prop dia note= Performance
|max speed kmh=167 |max speed note=at sea level ::::136 km/h at 1000 m |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh=93 |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed note= |range km= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m=1300 |ceiling note= |climb rate ms=1.3 |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |wing loading kg/m2=63.2 |wing loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |power/mass=0.5 hp/lb |more performance=
References
References
- (1971). "Polish aircraft 1893-1939". Putnam.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::