Samolot Sp.I
Samolot · Poland · first flew 1926 · fighter
The Samolot Sp.I was a Polish aircraft designed in the mid-1920s to explore the characteristics of a proposed single-seat fighter. The project received no government support and only one was built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Wing carried above the fuselage on cabane struts with parallel steel bracing struts in wooden streamlined cladding |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Braced parasol wing, rectangular in plan apart from blunted tips
- Wing carried above the fuselage on cabane struts with parallel steel bracing struts in wooden streamlined cladding
- Engine under a circular metal cowling with cylinder heads protruding
The two-part plywood-covered wing has two wooden spars in each half. The undercarriage has mainwheels on a single axle on steel V-struts.
Specifications
- The Samolot Sp.I has a length of 6.1 m (20 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.92 m (29 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 190 km/h (118 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed by Piotr Tulacz, technical director of Samolot, as a private venture and research vehicle. The first flight, by chief test pilot Edmond Holodynski at Poznan-Lawica, was in July 1926.
Variants
It first flew with an elderly six-cylinder Anzani 6A-4 of 67 kW. It was later re-engined with an 89 kW Salmson 9Ac nine-cylinder radial.
Where you'll see it
Flight testing showed a lack of power and handling problems, which were corrected by a shorter fuselage and rudder changes. Despite its good performance Samolot failed to get government funding and development was abandoned.
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