W.W.S.2 Żaba
Wojskowe Warsztaty Szybowcowe · Poland · first flew 1937 · glider
The W.W.S.2 Żaba (Frog) was a single-seat training glider designed and built in Poland from 1937. It followed the primary trainer concept.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Skeletal fuselage wire-braced to a simple fabric-covered wing |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Skeletal fuselage wire-braced to a simple fabric-covered wing
- Wing supported by two struts on each side
- Completely open seating area with no cockpit cover
A primary glider with an exposed skeletal fuselage and a strut-braced high wing. The pilot sits completely in the open.
Specifications
- The W.W.S.2 Żaba has a length of 5.45 m (18 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.33 m (31 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Czerwiński improved the design of the CWJ-bis, reducing structure weight and changing the control surfaces to improve performance and manoeuvrability. The open seat was meant to let the student feel the wind and the aircraft's response to gusts and thermals.
Variants
The WWS-2-bis Żaba II was an improved version with reduced weight and better controls, built by the Lwow Aviation Workshops. The CWA Wren was a Żaba built in Canada after the Second World War by Wacław Czerwiński.
Where you'll see it
Production began in 1937, with 60 to 70 built before the outbreak of the Second World War. About 150 Żaba IIs were built at Lwow, 20 of them for export. One W.W.S.2 survived the war and was retired to the Kraków Aviation Museum in 1950.
Related aircraft
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