PZL.46 Sum
PZL · Poland · first flew 1938 · bomber
The PZL.46 Sum (Catfish) was a Polish twin-engine low-wing monoplane light bomber designed by PZL in the late 1930s as a replacement for the PZL.23 Karas. Its performance was substantially superior to the aircraft it was intended to replace, but the German invasion of 1939 prevented it from entering service.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 10.5 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Polish twin-engine light bomber monoplane, 1938
- Clean all-metal low-wing design with retractable undercarriage
- Development cut short by German invasion of Poland in 1939
Clean twin-engine low-wing monoplane with oval fuselage cross-section, retractable undercarriage, and engine nacelles mounted on the straight wing leading edge; comparable in layout to the Bristol Blenheim Mk I or Potez 633.
Specifications
- The PZL.46 Sum has a length of 10.5 m (34 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.6 m (48 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 425 km/h (264 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed from 1936 and first flown in 1938, the PZL.46 represented a major advance in Polish bomber design, featuring retractable undercarriage, all-metal stressed-skin construction, and twin powerful engines. Only a handful of prototypes and pre-production aircraft were completed before the outbreak of war in September 1939 terminated the programme.
Variants
Pre-production examples only; no production variant reached squadron service.
Where you'll see it
Never entered operational service; the prototypes were evacuated or destroyed at the outbreak of war in 1939.
Related aircraft
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