LWS-6 Zubr

LWS-6 Zubr

Picture - PZL.30 Zubr

Role: Medium bomber
Manufacturer: LWS
First flight: March 1936
Introduced: 1938
Retired: 1940s
Primary user: Polish Air Force
Produced: 1938
Number built: 17

The LWS-6 Zubr (PZL.30 Zubr) was a Polish twin-engined medium bomber, produced by the LWS factory before World War II. A short series was used for training only, because it was inferior to the PZL.37 Łoś design.

Design and development

It was designed by PZL in the early 1930s, initially as a passenger aircraft (the main designer was Zbysław Ciołkosz). Since the Polish Airlines LOT bought Douglas DC-2 planes instead, the project was converted to a bomber aircraft, with a projected bomb load of 1,200 kg. It was developed as an alternative less-advanced design, in case the modern bomber design, PZL.37 Łoś would fail. The first prototype, designated PZL.30 (or PZL.30B) was flown in March 1936 by Bolesław Orliński (only three months before the PZL.37 prototype).

The prototype, initially powered with two 420 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior engines, was next refitted with much stronger 700 hp Bristol Pegasus VIII, also a landing gear was changed (it was known then as PZL.30B/II). The plane was accepted for a limited production by the LWS state factory in Lublin, of which Ciołkosz became the main designer. It was planned to produce 16 aircraft for the Polish Air Force, under a designation LWS-6 Zubr (Polish: Wisent). After a prototype crash on November 7, 1936, caused by a weak construction of a wing, the design was strengthened. Due to this increased weight it had a smaller bomb load than expected. An improved prototype was made with a double tail fin, and flown at the end of 1937. The serial variant, however, returned to a single tail fin configuration, but it was enlarged. A series of 15 aircraft were built in 1938. The factory continued work on Zubr development, and in 1939 developed a lighter wing of steel construction and a refined fuselage, but these were not built due to the outbreak of World War II.

In 1937 the factory proposed to build a floatplane torpedo bomber variant LWS-5, instead of developing LWS-1 (R-XXA) design of Jerzy Rudlicki. At first the Polish Navy revealed interest and works upon the LWS-1 were canceled despite their progress, but then due to problems with LWS-6 development and its low bomb load, it was rejected by the Navy. Work upon the prototype was canceled in 1938. It was supposed to be fitted with two Short floats of the Lublin R-XX prototype.

In many sources, especially older ones, the erroneous designation LWS-4 is used for the Zubr, but in fact it was a designation of a light fighter project (PZL.39). All Zubrs had factory numbers 71-1 to 71-17.

Operational history

Fifteen LWS-6 aeroplanes were delivered to the Polish Air Force in 1938-1939. From the beginning they were considered obsolete, and were assigned to training units. In use they revealed several faults - for example, the undercarriage retracted on some planes during landing. Reportedly, they flew with the undercarriage fixed in the open position later. As training aircraft they had their armament removed. The Zubr was inferior to its counterpart the PZL.37 Łoś, developed at the same time. For a similar price, it was of now obsolete design, slower, with inferior performance, and a much smaller bomb load.

During the Invasion of Poland in 1939, Zubrs were not used in combat. Several were destroyed on the ground, along with many other training aircraft. The Germans captured several LWS-6, including the twin-tailfin prototype, and used them for training until at least 1942 (among others, for blind flying training in Schleissheim). Ironically, the Luftwaffe service of this bomber was longer than the Polish one.

Apart from the Polish Air Force, Romania showed an interest in the Zubr prototype in 1936, and wanted to buy 24 planes. However, after the prototype crash on November 7, 1936 over Michałowice with two Romanian officers onboard, they ordered the PZL.37 Łoś instead (it should be noted, that the factory published a cover-up story, that the crash was caused by one of Romanians opening the door during flight).

Operators

Germany

Luftwaffe operated captured aircraft for training.

Poland

Polish Air Force for training

Specifications (LWS-6)

Technical design

The aircraft was conventional in layout, high-wing cantilever monoplane, of mixed construction (metal and wood). The fuselage was rectangular in cross-section, made of a metal frame, covered with metal (upper fuselage) and canvas (sides and botom), front part was made of duralumin. Wings were of wooden construction, plywood covered. There was a crew of four: pilot, commander-bombardier, radio operator and a rear gunner. The bombardier was accommodated in a glazed nose, with a forward machine gun turret and a significant pointed "beard" below. The pilot's canopy was above a fuselage, offset to the left. The rear gunner operated an upper turret, elevating to a working position. The main undercarriage retracted into engine nacelles. The plane was powered by two Bristol Pegasus VIII radial engines, normal power: 670 hp (500 kW), take-off power: 700 hp (522 kW). Bombs were carried in a bomb bay in the fuselage, the maximum load was 660 kg.

General characteristics

Crew: four (pilot, commander-bombardier, radio operator, rear gunner)
Length: 15.40 m (50 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 18.50 m (60 ft 8 in)
Height: 4 m (13 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 49.5 m� (532.6 ft�)
Empty weight: 4,788 kg (10,533 lb)
Loaded weight: 6,747 kg (14,843 lb)
Useful load: 1,959 kg (4,319 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 6,876 kg (15,127 lb)
Powerplant: 2x� Bristol Pegasus VIII 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 700 hp (522 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 341 km/h (212 mph)
Cruise speed: 280 km/h
Range: 750-1250 km (466-776 mi)
Service ceiling: 6,700 m (21,975 ft)
Rate of climb: 408 m/min (6.8 m/s) (1,338 ft/min)
Wing loading: 129 kg/m� (630.8 lb/ft�)

Armament

2 x� 7.7 mm Vickers F machine guns in nose turret
2 x� 7.7 mm Vickers F machine guns in upper rear turret
1 x� 7.7 mm Vickers F machine gun in underbelly
660 kg (1,450 lb) of bombs

Comparable aircraft

Potez 540
Amiot 143
Bloch MB.200
Martin B-10
Junkers Ju 86

Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" (Polish aviation constructions 1893-1939), WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 (Polish language, no ISBN)
Photos and drawings at airwar.ru

LWS-6 Zubr Pictures and LWS-6 Zubr for Sale.

Living Warbirds: The best warbirds DVD series.

Source: WikiPedia