Shipbucket

Great drawings guy! The DKDX: I imagine forward visibility was not that good when in road-mode. I wouldn't fancy my chances trying to parallel-park in it!!!

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Jabba's Worklist

I wouldn't stake my life on taking off the ground with that aero-car

Excellent work on this thread. Very informative and very good drawings.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

I can imagine the aerocar landing on a Geneva County AL road...some old coot would probably think its a drone and go after it with his shotgun.

Thanks for all comments!

And now let's continue with the business...

PZL-23 Karaś

PZL-23 Karaś (Crucian Carp) was the mainstay of the Polish bomber-reconnaissance aviation in the second half of the 1930s and a replacement of French Breguet and Potez biplanes. It was developed from an initial project of fast passenger/mail aircraft PZL-13 in which PLL Lot lost interest. First prototype was test-flown in august 1934, but the trials revealed some deficiences like tendency for buffeting, poor visibility from cockpit and cramped interior (due to a bomb bay inside).
Most of these faults were remedied on the second prototype with lower-located engine, removed bomb bay (which were from then carried only externally) redesigned cockpit and modified tail area. It was flown in march 1935 but lost in accident in the june of the same year.
Third prototype (flown in autumn of 1935) had further refinements and was the basis for the first series-produced version PZL-23A with Bristol Pegasus IIM2, of which 40 were made between late 1936 and early 1937. Because their engines turned out to be somewhat unreliable and underperforming, it was decided to replace them with Bristol Pegasus VIII on further models and PZL-23A's, after brief stint in operational units (in 1 and 2 Pułk Lotniczy between summer 1936 and mid-to-late 1937) they were transferred to training duties.




Definitive Polish variant of PZL-23 was PZL-23B, produced in series of 210 from early 1937 to 1938. They equipped 15 line squadrons in all regiments (some of which were later redesignated as bomber units), and were also a stop-gap equipment of 3 bomber squadrons between retirement of Fokker bombers and introduction of PZL-37. During the war in 1939 these planes were used relatively successfuly as reconnaissance planes, and somewhat less successfuly as bombers, largely due to modest engine power (coupled with usual wear) that limited effective bomb load. Planes from the Brygada Bombowa flew 186 sorties, dropping 64 tons of bombs, while planes from army aviation flew 258 sorties, dropping 25 tons of bombs. Because of the German air superiority and lack of fighter escort on majority of operations, PZL-23's suffered heavy losses, with around 87% being destroyed to all causes (highest ratio of all Polish planes).



19 planes (20 if one crashed during landing is to be included) PZL-23's were evacuated to Romania where they were pressed into service in Escadrila 73 Bombardement. That unit took part in the initial phases of war with Soviet Union, then was transferred to maritime patrol duties until it was again sent to front line in late 1942, fighting in the Stalingrad area until the problems with spare parts forced its withdrawal. Later Romanian PZL-23's were used as night-intruders. Unfortunately none survived the war.



PZL-42 (initially designated PZL-23/IV) was a modernization of PZL-23 design with twin tail and planned retractable underbelly gondolla. It was made in single example and flown in 1936. Though general idea of the applied modernizations was declared to be sound, particular arrangements were considered to be in need of further refinement and plane ended up as trainer in Dęblin.



PZL-23 met with significant interest from Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Sweden, which led to development of the export version designated PZL-43, with redesigned fuselage and equipped with stronger (and larger) Gnome-Rhône 14K engine. The only actual export order came from Bulgaria, which purchased initially 12 such aircraft in 1937, followed by an order for 42 more with GR 14N01 engine, designated PZL-43A (somewhat erroneously described as PZL-43B). Outbreak of war prevented delivery of several aircraft (Bulgaria received in total 50 PZL-43/-43A), which were then pressed into service in 41 Eskadra Rozpoznawcza. They were ultimately delivered by Germans, though only after a series of trials in Rechlin.
In Bulgarian service, PZL-43's were dubbed "Chaika" ("Sea Gull") and served (in gradually decreasing numbers) until 1944, initially as bomber-reconaissance aircraft, but soon become mostly operational trainers, though they were also involved in anti-guerilla operations in Macedonia (then under Bulgarian control).

Stunning work!
Those interwar light planes are just great and the Karas series was certainly well worth the wait!

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Enjoyed reading and looking at the PZL 23-43 post. Great work!

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Jabba's Worklist

Lovely work

Brilliant eswube, I had no idea that Poland had such a great aircraft industry so thanks for the aviation history lesson and excellent drawings to go with it
Keep it up!

Superb work eswube, a must see in FD scale.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Thanks for all comments! On sunday I hope to add next entry (and then each sunday, until I'll run out of ready and near-ready drawings, when it would become slightly less regular ).