The PWS-33 Wyżeł was a Polish twin-engined military

trainer aircraft A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristi ...

from a period before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

constructed by ''Podlaska Wytwórnia Samolotów'' or PWS (" Podlasie Aircraft Factory"). Although destined for production it got no further than the prototypes before Poland was invaded.

Design and development

With an expected advent of a twin-engine heavy fighter, the

PZL.38 Wilk The PZL.38 ''Wilk'' (''wolf'') (PZL-38) was a Polish heavy fighter developed and manufactured by PZL state factory in 1937. Intended for use primarily as a fighter-bomber, the Polish Air Force also envisioned it replacing light fighters in long-r ...

, which was supposed to be a basic fighter and bomber aircraft in the Polish Air Force, there appeared the need for a twin-engine trainer aircraft for pilots. In

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

, the PWS works were ordered to build a trainer of cheap wooden construction, similar in layout to the PZL.38. The main designer was Wacław Czerwiński, known for designing several successful

sailplane A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the leisure activity and sport of gliding (also called soaring). This unpowered aircraft can use naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to gain altitude. Sailplan ...

s. The prototype of the PWS-33 first flew in August–September

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

. The aircraft appeared successful with good flight characteristics and the maximum speed turned out to be even higher than had been estimated. It was given a name ''Wyżeł'' (Polish: "pointer"). The prototype was soon shown at the

Paris Air Show The Paris Air Show (french: Salon international de l'aéronautique et de l'espace de Paris-Le Bourget, Salon du Bourget) is a trade fair and air show held in odd years at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France. Organized by the French ...

, in November–December 1938 (under the name PZL Wyżeł) and met with an interest in the world press. In January

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

the second prototype PWS-33/II flew. It was also capable of

aerobatics Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aerial" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and glid ...

. The plane was quite light and small and comparable to the single-engine trainer

PWS-26 The PWS-26 was a Polish advanced training aircraft, used from 1937 to 1939 by the Polish Air Force, constructed in the PWS (''Podlaska Wytwórnia Samolotów'' - Podlasie Aircraft Factory). It was the second most numerous Polish pre-war aircraft, ...

. After trials, the plane was ordered into production. In the meantime, the

program was appearing unsuccessful due to lack of proper engines and was canceled. However the PWS-33 could still find a place as a trainer for pilots of PZL.37 Łoś

medium bomber A medium bomber is a military bomber Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft designed to operate with medium-sized Aerial bomb, bombloads over medium Range (aeronautics), range distances; the name serves to distinguish this type from larger heavy bombe ...

s, which were also similar in appearance to the PWS-33, and for future heavy fighters such as the

PZL.48 Lampart The PZL.48 Lampart (''leopard'') was a Polish heavy fighter-bomber design, that remained only a project, owing to the outbreak of World War II. Design and development The PZL.48 was a development of the heavy fighter-bomber PZL.38 Wilk, designe ...

. In summer 1939 production of the first series of 25 aircraft started but they were not completed due to the outbreak of

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

Operational history

After the German

invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

, the first prototype was bombed in the PWS factory in

Biała Podlaska Biała Podlaska ( la, Alba Ducalis) is a city in eastern Poland with 56,498 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is situated in the Lublin Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously been the capital of Biała Podlaska Voivodeship (1975–1998). ...

in September 1939. The second damaged prototype was captured by the Germans at Warsaw-Okęcie airfield; its further fate is uncertain.

Operators

; * Polish Air Force

Description

It was a twin-engine low-wing

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

of wooden construction with a

plywood Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...

outer skin. The fuselage was semi-

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

, elliptic in cross-section. The enclosed cabin seated the student at the front with the instructor behind under a common canopy with rearwards sliding sections. Dual controls were fitted. Two-spar wings, with

slats Super Low Altitude Test Satellite (SLATS) or Tsubame was a JAXA satellite intended to demonstrate operations in very low Earth orbit (VLEO, below 200 km), using ion engines to counteract aerodynamic drag from the Earth's atmosphere which i ...

and flaps. Twin vertical stabilizers. Engines in underwing nacelles,

duralumin Duralumin (also called duraluminum, duraluminium, duralum, dural(l)ium, or dural) is a trade name for one of the earliest types of age-hardenable aluminium alloys. The term is a combination of '' Dürener'' and ''aluminium''. Its use as a tra ...

covered. Retractable

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...

, with main wheels half-hidden in engine nacelles, enabling safe emergency landing, and a rear skid.

Specification

References

*Chwałczyk T., Glass Andrezej: ”Samoloty PWS”(''Aircraft of the PWS''), Wydawnictwo Komunikacji i Łączności. Warszawa 1990. *Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" (''Polish Aviation Constructions 1893-1939''), WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 (Polish language, no ISBN) *Andrzej Glass: "PWS 33 Wyzel", Wydawnictwo MILITARIA, Warsaw, 1995,

External links

Photos and drawings at Ugolok Neba
{{DEFAULTSORT:PWS-33 Wyzel 1930s Polish military trainer aircraft PWS aircraft