PZL.49 Miś
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (November 2008) |
The PZL.49 Miś (Polish: teddy-bear) was a Polish twin-engine medium bomber, design, that remained only a project due to outbreak of World War II.
Design
The PZL.49 was a development of advanced, "state-of-the-art"[1] medium bomber PZL.37 Łoś, designed by Jerzy Dąbrowski, Stanisław Kot and Piotr Kubicki.[2] About 50% of elements were taken from PZL.37 Łoś bomber to simplify design process. Main target for design team was increase of performance, especially flight speed, by means of installing more powerful engines and improving aerodynamics. Standard 2200 kg bomb load could be increased up to 3000 kg by decreasing fuel load. Standard 2200 km range could be increased to 3000 km with additional fuel tanks.
Detailed project was ready in mid 1938 and report of general Józef Zając from 28 November, 1938 stated that all drawings were complete. Design process was slow due to involvement of PZL construction bureau in PZL.50 Jastrząb fighter development. In summer 1939 mock-up of PZL.49 was approved by Air Force and project could be continued. Due to engagement of Jerzy Dąbrowski in PZL.62 development Piotr Kubicki became leader of PZL.49 design team.
In late 1938 or early 1939 production of parts for two prototypes begun in Wytwórnia Płatowców nr 1 of PZL factory (PZL WP-2). In early 1939 full scale mock-up of fuselage with part of left wing was built for placement of cockpit and fuselage equipment tests.
Serial production was planned in PZL WP-2 factory in Mielec as well as construction bureau HQ. Development schedule from August 1939 set first flight of PZL.49/I on summer 1940. It means that first serial built aircraft could be delivered to combat units in late 1941 or early 1942. Due to the German invasion on 1 September 1939, all plans were canceled. Documentation of PZL.49 project was moved to Jerzy Dąbrowski's apartment in Warsaw early September 1939 and in late September, during siege of Warsaw, was burned in a nearby bakery to avoid falling into German hands. Very little of it has been recovered after the war.[2]
Technical design
The aircraft was conventional in layout, all metal, metal-covered, with low-set laminar-flow wings and a twin tail. In size it was slightly larger than the Lockheed L-10 Electra that Amelia Earhart used and almost identical with its predecessor PZL.37 Łoś. The crew consisted of four: pilot, commander-bombardier, radio operator and a rear gunner. The bombardier was accommodated in the glazed nose, with a forward twin 7.92 mm PWU wz.37 machinegun. The radio operator sat inside the fuselage, above the bomb bay, and he also operated an underbelly rear twin 7.92 mm PWU wz.37 machinegun fitted in so-called kołyska (Polish: bassinet). Rear gunner sat in fuselage turret armed with 20 mm gun or four 7.92 mm PWU wz.37 machinegun.
The main undercarriage retracted into the engine nacelles. The undercarriage was double-wheeled, with an independent suspension for each wheel and retractable rear wheel. The plane was powered by two Bristol Hercules radial engines with NACA covers. The bombs were carried in two-section bomb bay in the fuselage and bomb bays in the central section of the wings. The maximum load was 3,000 kg. Wings fitted with split flaps. Twin vertical stabilizers.
Variants (planned)
- PZL.49/I
- First prototype for flight and static trials.
- PZL.49/I
- Second prototype, pattern aircraft for PZL.49A version.
- PZL.49A
- Version powered by PZL-Bristol "Hercules" III engines.
- PZL.49B
- Export version with French Gnôme-Rhône 14N-50/51 engines.
Operators (planned)
Specification
Performance below are expected figures.
General characteristics
- Crew: 4, pilot/navigator, observer/bombardier/forward gunner, radio operator/rear gunner, rear gunner
Performance
Armament
- 2 × 7.92 mm PWU wz.37 machine guns movable in nose
- 2 × 7.92 mm PWU wz.37 machine guns movable in lower rear
- 1 × 20 mm Oerlikon FFS or FK wz.38D cannon or 4 × 7.92 mm PWU wz.37 machine guns in turret at the upper rear
- Max. 3000 kg bombs
References
- ^ Jerzy Lukowski, Hubert Zawadzki, A Concise History of Poland, Cambridge University Press, 2001, ISBN 0521559170, Google Print, p. xi
- ^ a b Template:Pl icon PZL-49 "Miś"
- Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893–1939" (Polish aviation constructions 1893–1939), WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 (Polish language, no ISBN)
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era