The Politechnika Warszawska PW-2 ( en, Warsaw Polytechnic PW-2), also called the PW-2 Gapa, is a Polish lightweight
high-wing,
strut-braced
In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...
single-seat,
glider
Glider may refer to:
Aircraft and transport Aircraft
* Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight
** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...
that was designed and built at the
Warsaw University of Technology and also produced by
DWLKK in the early 1990s.
Total number of 19 gliders were built, including variant PW-2D bis.
Design and development
The PW-2 was designed as a lightweight glider of modest performance with an open cockpit. The aircraft was intended to be produced as both a completed aircraft and as a kit for
amateur construction.
The aircraft is made from
composite material, with its control surfaces covered in doped
aircraft fabric covering
Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as ar ...
. Its span wing employs an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
-designed
NACA 4415
airfoil
An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is the cross-sectional shape of an object whose motion through a gas is capable of generating significant lift, such as a wing, a sail, or the blades of propeller, rotor, or turbine.
...
. The maximum
glide ratio is 16:1 at
Operational history
In August 2011 five PW-2Ds were registered in the United States with the
Federal Aviation Administration. All were in the ''Experimental - Exhibition/Racing'' category and all produced in 1992 or 1993.
Specifications (PW-2D)
See also
References
External links
NACA 4415 airfoilPhoto of PW-2D
{{Politechnika Warszawska aircraft
1990s Polish sailplanes
High-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1985