LUBLIN RVIII LD HYDRO

Lublin R. VIII was a Polish reconnaissance and bomber plane from the interwar period and World War II. The machine was built in a biplane system, it had a mixed structure and a fixed (classic) or float undercarriage. The prototype flight took place in 1928. Serial production was carried out in the years 1928-1930. The drive was provided by various engines ranging from 550 to 650 HP. The deck armament consisted of three 7.7 mm machine guns. The machine could also carry bomb loads of up to 300 kilograms. Lublin R.VIII was developed and put into production on the wave of considerable interest in Polish aviation at the end of the 1920s in a linear plane, i.e. one that would be responsible for the reconnaissance of enemy forces, bombing its positions and cooperation with its own land forces. Several versions of this aircraft were created in the course of serial production, differing mainly in the power unit. A seaplane was also built, produced for the Polish Navy, with a fixed, float undercarriage, designated as Lublin R. VIII bis. Aircraft of this type took part in the September campaign in 1939 to a limited extent.