RWD 5
Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze · Poland · first flew 1931 · light aircraft
The RWD 5 was a Polish two-seat touring and sports high-wing monoplane of 1931 built by the RWD team. It became famous for a transatlantic flight and is the smallest aircraft to have crossed the Atlantic.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.2 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two-seat high-wing monoplane
- Single in-line Cirrus Hermes engine in the nose
- Small touring and sports aircraft
A small high-wing two-seater with a Cirrus Hermes inline engine.
Specifications
- The RWD 5 has a length of 7.2 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.5 m (34 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 200 km/h (124 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The prototype SP-AGJ was flown by its designer Jerzy Drzewiecki on 7 August 1931. Series aircraft had improved landing gear, and 20 were built between 1931 and 1937.
Variants
The RWD 5bis was a single-seater. A flying replica, the RWD 5R, was built in Poland and first flew on 26 August 2000.
Where you'll see it
They were used mostly as trainers and sports aircraft by Polish aero clubs, and the RWD 13 later superseded them. At least three flew as liaison aircraft in the 1939 campaign, and none survived the war.
Related aircraft
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