PWS-54

The PWS-54 was a Polish prototype passenger-communication and postal aircraft in the high-wing configuration from the interwar period. The prototype flight took place in 1933, but the machine did not enter serial production. The drive was provided by a single engine Skoda Wright Whirlwind J5 with a power of 220 hp. The plane did not have on-board weapons. The length of the machine was 9.24 meters with a wingspan of 12.3 meters. PWS-54 was designed by Eng. Zbysław Ciołkosz at the Podlaska Aircraft Factory (PWS) on the order of the Polish Ministry of Communication to replace the PWS-24 machines. The new plane, compared to its predecessor, was to be characterized by a better maximum speed and - generally - better performance. It was to be able to take up to four passengers on board. However, the new machine did not live up to the hopes placed on it, mainly due to the short flight range and relatively low lifting capacity. What's more, the use of new engines on the PWS-24 aircraft significantly improved its capabilities, and therefore the entire project was abandoned.