LWD Szpak
Lotnicze Warsztaty Doświadczalne · Poland · first flew 1945 · light aircraft
The LWD Szpak (starling) was a Polish utility aircraft of 1945, the first Polish aircraft designed after World War II. It was built in a short series.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.05 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Strutted low-wing wooden monoplane
- Closed cabin under a multi-part canopy with seats in two rows
- Fixed landing gear and a Bramo Sh 14 radial engine
A strutted wooden low-wing monoplane with a closed cabin for four in two rows under a multi-part canopy, powered by a Bramo Sh 14 radial.
Specifications
- The LWD Szpak has a length of 8.05 m (26 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.4 m (37 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 180 km/h (112 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
A team under Tadeusz Sołtyk gathered in Lublin in 1944 and moved to Łódź, where LWD was founded on 1 April 1945. The Szpak-2 prototype was first flown on 28 October 1945, and the official first flight took place on 10 November 1945.
Variants
The Szpak-2 had a conventional fixed landing gear, the Szpak-3 flew on 17 December 1946 with a fixed tricycle gear, and the Szpak-4A was an aerobatic variant first flown on 20 May 1947 with a steel fuselage frame and a side-by-side open cab.
Where you'll see it
The Szpak-2 was the first plane registered in Poland after the war, as SP-AAA, and was used by the Polish government as a utility and light transport aircraft in 1947 and 1948. It completed some 500 flights and carried some 250 passengers before retirement on 5 April 1948.
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