# PZL.44 Wicher > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/PZL.44_Wicher > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/PZL.44_Wicher.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL.44_Wicher > Source revision: 1251844045 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Polish airliner prototype PZL.44 Wicher General information Type Passenger plane Manufacturer Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze Status Prototype Primary user LOT Polish Airlines Number built 1 (prototype) History Manufactured 1938 First flight 12 March 1938 Retired 1939 The **PZL.44 Wicher** (*gale*) was a [prototype](/source/Prototype) of 14-seat, twin-engine Polish [airliner](/source/Airliner), built in the [Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze](/source/Pa%C5%84stwowe_Zak%C5%82ady_Lotnicze) (PZL) in [1938](/source/1938_in_aviation). It was to compete with the [DC-2](/source/Douglas_DC-2) and [Lockheed Super Electra](/source/Lockheed_Model_14_Super_Electra). ## Design and development In mid-1930s the Polish Ministry of Communication ordered a development of an own passenger plane for [LOT Polish Airlines](/source/LOT_Polish_Airlines), using imported airliners so far, mostly [Lockheed Model 10 Electra](/source/Lockheed_Model_10_Electra) and [DC-2](/source/Douglas_DC-2). The plane was designed in the state factory [Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze](/source/Pa%C5%84stwowe_Zak%C5%82ady_Lotnicze) under direction of [Wsiewołod Jakimiuk](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wsiewo%C5%82od_Jakimiuk&action=edit&redlink=1) in 1936-1937. The prototype was flown on March 12, [1938](/source/1938_in_aviation) by [Bolesław Orliński](/source/Boles%C5%82aw_Orli%C5%84ski). The aircraft was designated **PZL.44 Wicher**. In December 1938 it was given to LOT for evaluation, with registration SP-BPJ. Initially LOT airlines ordered 10 PZL.44s but high cost of a single plane and delays in development were reasons for decreasing order to 4, then for cancelling it in 1939. LOT bought a batch of 10 cheaper [Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra](/source/Lockheed_Model_14_Super_Electra) in 1938 and 1939 instead. Wicher was the first modern airliner designed in Poland. Its construction was very modern, but it is estimated, that the whole program was too ambitious, because a development of an own passenger plane, without much hope of export, was unprofitable. Moreover, LOT airlines found operation features of well-proven Lockheed Super Electra more satisfactory. Lockheed offered a possibility of licence production as well. Besides, the Wicher development caused delays in development of new fighter aircraft, like [PZL.50 Jastrząb](/source/PZL.50_Jastrz%C4%85b), that were more needed in an advent of the war. ### Description Twin-engine low-wing cantilever [monoplane](/source/Monoplane) of all-metal construction, metal covered (with Alclad sheet). Fuselage semi-[monocoque](/source/Monocoque). Crew cockpit in front with a crew of 4: two pilots, radio operator and a mechanic. Passenger cab with 14 seats in two rows, dimensions: length 9 m, width 1.7 m, height 1.85 m. In the rear, WC and (planned) buffet with steward's seat. Crew doors on the left in front, passengers' doors on the left at the rear. Baggage space was between cockpit and the passenger cab and in a tail section, capacity: 5 m3. Elliptical wing (shape similar to [PZL.37 Łoś](/source/PZL.37_%C5%81o%C5%9B) bomber). Engine nacelles in wings. Three-blade Hamilton Standard propellers. Retractable conventional [landing gear](/source/Landing_gear) - main gear with single wheels retractable to engine nacelles. Double elliptical tailfin. Fuel tanks 2200 L in wings (normal load 1800 L). ## Operational history After the outbreak of [World War II](/source/Polish_September_Campaign), on 1 September 1939, the prototype was evacuated from Warsaw to [Lwów](/source/Lw%C3%B3w), but it damaged a landing gear and was left there. It was next captured by the [invading Soviets](/source/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland_(1939)) and evaluated in Moscow. ## Operators **[Poland](/source/Poland)** - [LOT Polish Airlines](/source/LOT_Polish_Airlines) operated single prototype and was expected operator of a series. ## Specifications (PZL.44) 3-views of the PZL.44. *Data from* *Polish aircraft 1893-1939*[1] **General characteristics** - **Crew:** 4 - **Capacity:** 14 passengers - **Length:** 18.45 m (60 ft 6 in) - **Wingspan:** 23.8 m (78 ft 1 in) - **Height:** 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in) - **Wing area:** 75 m2 (810 sq ft) - **Empty weight:** 5,990 kg (13,206 lb) - **Gross weight:** 9,260 kg (20,415 lb) - **Max takeoff weight:** 9,500 kg (20,944 lb) - **Fuel capacity:** 1,800 L (480 US gal; 400 imp gal) fuel; 110 L (29 US gal; 24 imp gal) oil - **Powerplant:** 2 × [Wright GR-1820-G2 Cyclone](/source/Wright_GR-1820-G2_Cyclone) 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 750 kW (1,000 hp) each - **Propellers:** 3-bladed [Hamilton-Standard](/source/Hamilton-Standard) constant-speed propellers **Performance** - **Maximum speed:** 360 km/h (220 mph, 190 kn) at 2,000 m (6,600 ft) - **Cruise speed:** 280 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn) at 65% power - **Stall speed:** 110 km/h (68 mph, 59 kn) - **Range:** 1,840 km (1,140 mi, 990 nmi) - **Service ceiling:** 6,850 m (22,470 ft) - **Single engine ceiling:** 2,300 m (7,500 ft) - **Rate of climb:** 6.93 m/s (1,365 ft/min) - **Wing loading:** 123.5 kg/m2 (25.3 lb/sq ft) - **[Power/mass](/source/Power-to-weight_ratio):** 0.138 kW/kg (0.084 hp/lb) ## See also **Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era** - [Douglas DC-2](/source/Douglas_DC-2) - [Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra](/source/Lockheed_Model_14_Super_Electra) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Cynk_1-0)** Cynk, Jerzy B (1971). [*Polish aircraft 1893-1939*](https://archive.org/details/polishaircraft1800cynk). Putnam. pp. 244–250. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-370-00085-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-370-00085-4). ## Further reading Wikimedia Commons has media related to [PZL.44 Wicher](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:PZL.44_Wicher). - Glass, Andrzej (1977). *Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893–1939* (in Polish). Warsaw: WKiŁ. v t e PZL aircraft PZL - up to 1939 (Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze) PZL: P.1 Ł.2 PZL.3 PZL.4 PZL.5 P.6 P.7 P.8 P.9 P.11 PZL.12 (PZL-H) PZL.16 PZL.19 PZL.23 Karaś P.24 PZL.26 PZL.27 PZL.30 Żubr PZL.37 Łoś PZL.38 Wilk PZL.39 PZL.42 PZL.43 PZL.44 Wicher PZL.45 Sokół PZL.46 Sum PZL.48 Lampart PZL.49 Miś PZL.50 Jastrząb PZL.53 Jastrząb II PZL.54 Ryś PZL.55 PZL.56 Kania CSS / WSK-Okęcie / PZL Warszawa-Okęcie PZL: TS-16 Grot PZL-101 Gawron PZL-102 Kos PZL-104 Wilga PZL-105 Flaming PZL-106 Kruk PZL-107 PZL-110 Koliber PZL-111 Koliber PZL-112 Junior PZL-126 Mrówka PZL-130 Orlik PZL-230 Skorpion Other: WSK Junak CSS-10 CSS-11 CSS-12 CSS-13 PZL Jak-12 MD-12 WSK-Mielec / WSK PZL-Mielec / PZL Mielec (Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze) PZL: M-2 M-3 M-4 M-15 M-17 M-18 M-20 M-21 M-24 M-25 M-26 M-28 I-22 Other: LWD Szpak CSS-13 TS-8 Bies TS-11 Iskra An-2 Lim-1 Lim-2 Lim-5 Lim-6 WSK-Świdnik / WSK PZL-Świdnik / PZL-Świdnik PZL: SM-1 SM-2 SM-4 Kania W-3 SW-4 Other: Mi-2 SZD-30 PW-5 PW-6 WSK PZL-Krosno KR-03 Szybowcowy Zakład Doświadczalny / PZL Bielsko-Biała / Allstar PZL Glider SZD-C SZD-6 SZD-7 SZD-8 SZD-9 SZD-10 SZD-11 SZD-12 SZD-13 SZD-14 SZD-15 SZD-16 SZD-17 SZD-18 SZD-19 SZD-20 SZD-21 SZD-22 SZD-23 SZD-24 SZD-25 SZD-26 SZD-27 SZD-28 SZD-29 SZD-30 SZD-31 SZD-32 SZD-33 SZD-34 SZD-35 SZD-36 SZD-37 SZD-38 SZD-39 SZD-40 SZD-41 SZD-42 SZD-43 SZD-45 SZD-48 SZD-49 SZD-50 SZD-51 SZD-52 SZD-54 SZD-55 SZD-56 SZD-59 S-1 S-3 Kania S-4 Kania 2 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [PZL.44 Wicher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL.44_Wicher) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL.44_Wicher?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.