PZL P.7a
Description
Role	Fighter
Crew	1
First Flight	October 1930
Entered Service	1933
Manufacturer	PZL
Dimensions
Length	6.98 m	22 ft 11 in
Wingspan	10.57 m	34 ft 8 in
Height	2.69 m	8 ft 10 in
Wing area	17.9 m²	193 ft²
Weights
Empty	1,090 kg	2,400 lb
Loaded	1,476 kg	3,254 lb
Maximum takeoff	kg	lb
Powerplant
Engines 1 x	Bristol Jupiter
Power 1 x	Jupiter VIIF
	388 kW (max)	520 hp
Performance
Maximum speed	327 km/h	203 mph
Combat range	600 km	370 mi
Ferry range	km	mi
Service ceiling	8,500 m	27,900 ft
Rate of climb	10.4 m/s	2,050 ft/min
Wing loading	82.5 kg/m²	16.9 lb/ft²
Power/Mass	hp/lb	kW/kg
Armament
Guns	2 x 7.9 mm machine guns

The PZL P.7 was the Polish fighter aircraft, designed in early-1930s in the PZL factory in Warsaw. It took part in the Polish September Campaign. PZL P7 This work is copyrighted. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it easier to understand, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1930: Events The Surrey Aero Club inaugurates recreational flights from Gatwick Race Course (now London Gatwick Airport). ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1933: Events January January 16 - Jean Mermoz and crew make a non-stop flight from Senegal to Brazil in 17 hours 27 minutes. ... PZL is an abbreviation name used by three Polish aerospace manufacturers. ... Bristol Jupiter engine The Jupiter was a 9 cylinder one_row radial aircraft engine designed during World War I by Roy Fedden of Cosmos Engineering. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it easier to understand, this article or section may require cleanup. ... PZL is an abbreviation name used by three Polish aerospace manufacturers. ... Warsaw (Polish: , (?), in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... Combatants Poland Germany, Slovakia Soviet Union Commanders Edward Rydz-Śmigły Fedor von Bock (Army Group North) Gerd von Rundstedt (Army Group South) Strength 39 divisions, 16 brigades 4,300 guns 880 tanks 400 aircraft Total: 1,000,000 56 German divisions, 4 brigades, 33+ Soviet divisions, 11+ brigades, 2...

Development

The history of PZL P.7 started in 1928, when a talented designer, Zygmunt Pulawski designed an all-metal metal-covered monoplane fighter PZL P.1. It introduced a high gull wing, giving a pilot an optimal view. P.1 was powered with an inline engine, and was flown on September 25, 1929. It developed a speed of 302 km/h, but remained a prototype, because it was decided in Poland, that a fighter should be powered with a licence produced radial engine. Therefore, the next model PZL P.6, flown in August 1930, was powered with the Bristol Jupiter VI FH radial engine. Both aircraft met with a huge interest in the world. Their wing design was called the "Polish wing" or "Pulawski wing". During a presentation at the Paris airshow in Le Bourget in December 1931, a military press recognized P.6 as one of the world's top fighters. Then, the prototype P.6 won the American National Air Races in August-September 1931. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1928: Events January January 6-8 - Lt Christian Schilt makes ten flights in an O2U Corsair to evacuate wounded marines from the besieged village of Quilali, Nicaragua. ... An inline engine is an internal-combustion engine with cylinders aligned in one or several rows. ... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years). ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Radial engine of a biplane. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1931: Events Manufacturer Airspeed Ltd founded in York, England. ...

The PZL P.6 did not enter production, because the next improved variant PZL P.7 was developed. The first prototype was basically the P.6 with a stronger engine Bristol Jupiter VII F. Thanks to a charger, it showed better performance on higher altitudes. The prototype was first flown in October 1930. After some changes, most noticeably adding a wide Townend ring to the engine and making a tail slimer, the second prototype was accepted for a production with a designation P.7a.

The first series P.7a were built in a mid-1932, the whole series of 149 (plus one prototype) was completed in 1933. The Polish Air Force received P.7a in 1933. Flag of the Polish Air Force Polish Air Force (Siły Powietrzne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, Sily Powietrzne RP) - the Air Force of Poland. ...

After designing P.7, Pulawski started to develop his design with stronger engines, and the result was PZL P.11, built in a series. Pulawski personally was an inline-engine fan, and he developed also a new fighter P.8, with a slim silhouette, powered with an inline engine and reaching a speed of 350 km/h. A planned serial variant was to be designated P.9. Unfortunately, in March 1931 he died in an air crash, and the work upon fighters with inline engines was canceled in a favour of P.11 with a radial engine. The P.11 became the standard Polish fighter. In parallel with P.11, also a development of an export variant PZL P.24 started in 1932. The PZL P.11 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed in early-1930s by PZL in Warsaw. ... The PZL P.24 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed in mid-1930s in the PZL factory in Warsaw. ...

PZL P.7a entered service in the Polish Air Force in early 1933, replacing PWS-A (licence Avia BH-33) and PWS-10 fighters. Hence the Polish airforce became the first airforce equipped with all-metal fighters only. When P.7 entered service, they were modern fighters, comparable or better than the world's designs, but due to a quick progress in an aircraft technology, they became totally obsolete by 1939. From 1935, in most combat units they were replaced with PZL P.11, which were only slightly more modern. The P.7a were then moved to air schools. Flag of the Polish Air Force Polish Air Force (Siły Powietrzne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, Sily Powietrzne RP) - the Air Force of Poland. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The PZL P.11 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed in early-1930s by PZL in Warsaw. ...

Combat use

At the outbreak of the World War II, on September 1, 1939, the Polish Air Force still had 30 PZL P.7a in combat units. Further 40 were in air schools, 35 were in reserve or repairs - a total was 106 aircraft. P.7a were used in 3 escadres, each with 10 aircraft. The 123rd Escadre was in the Pursuit Brigade, deployed around Warsaw, the 151st and the 162nd Escadres were assigned to Armies. Despite being obsolete, they took part in the Polish September Campaign. Apart from combat units, several P.7a were used in units improvised in air bases. Combatants Allies: • Poland, • UK & Commonwealth, • France/Free France, • Soviet Union, • USA, • China, ...and others Axis: • Germany, • Italy, • Japan, ...and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total: 50 million Full list Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total: 12 million Full list World War II... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Flag of the Polish Air Force Polish Air Force (Siły Powietrzne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, Sily Powietrzne RP) - the Air Force of Poland. ... Warsaw (Polish: , (?), in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... Combatants Poland Germany, Slovakia Soviet Union Commanders Edward Rydz-Śmigły Fedor von Bock (Army Group North) Gerd von Rundstedt (Army Group South) Strength 39 divisions, 16 brigades 4,300 guns 880 tanks 400 aircraft Total: 1,000,000 56 German divisions, 4 brigades, 33+ Soviet divisions, 11+ brigades, 2...

Almost all the German planes were faster, than P.7a. Furthermore, the Polish planes and their engines were worn-out from an intensive service. Their armament was weak - only 2 Vickers machineguns, which had a tendency to jam. On the other hand, the P.7 had better maneouvreability, and could operate from short fields (150 m to start), even rough ones. For these reasons, the pilots flying on P.7a shot down only about 7 German aircraft (2 He 111, 2 Do 17, 1 Hs 126 and 2 Me 110), suffering losses of 22 planes. A task of P.7a from units improvised in air bases was rather to confuse and disturb the German bomb raids with their aggressive presence, than to shoot down bombers. The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most obvious symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Bleistift (pencil), was a World War II light bomber produced by Dornier that was used at the beginning of the war by the Luftwaffe. ... The Henschel Hs 126 was a Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. It was used mostly for short range photographic duties over the Maginot Line. ... The Messerschmitt Bf 110 (later Me 110) was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Later in the war it was changed to fighter-bomber and night fighter operations, and it became the major night fighter type of the Luftwaffe. ...

Most of P.7a were destroyed in 1939, some dozen were withdrawn to Romania, but not used in combat. Some captured planes were used by the Germans and the Soviets for training.

Technical description

The aircraft was conventional in layout, with high wings, all-metal, metal-covered. The pilot's cab was open. A fuel tank in a hull could be droped in case of emergency. The armament was two 7.92 mm machine guns on hull sides (initially 7.7 mm Vickers E, then re-bored to 7.92 mm). The plane had the Bristol Jupiter VII F radial engine (normal power: 480 hp (360 kW), maximum: 520 hp (390 kW). An undercarriage was fixed. Bristol Jupiter engine The Jupiter was a 9 cylinder one_row radial aircraft engine designed during World War I by Roy Fedden of Cosmos Engineering. ...

Specifications (variant described)

General characteristics

• Crew:
• Capacity:
• Length: m ( ft)
• Wingspan: m ( ft)
• Height: m ( ft)
• Wing area: m² ( ft²)
• Empty: kg ( lb)
• Loaded: kg ( lb)
• Maximum takeoff: kg ( lb)
• Powerplant: Bristol Jupiter VII F radial, 480 hp (360 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: km/h ( mph)
• Range: km ( mi)
• Service ceiling: m ( ft)
• Rate of climb: m/min ( ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
• Power/mass:

Operators

• Poland, Romania.

The PZL P.11 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed in early-1930s by PZL in Warsaw. ... The PZL P.24 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed in mid-1930s in the PZL factory in Warsaw. ... The Ikarus IK-2 was a high-wing, all metal, single seat, monoplane fighter aircraft of indigenous design built for the Yugoslav Air Force. ... The Polikarpov I-15 Чайка Seagull was a Soviet fighter aircraft that first flew in October 1933 by V.P.Chkalov. ... The PZL P.11 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed in early-1930s by PZL in Warsaw. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ...