Działowski Brothers' Aircraft

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The Działowski Brothers' Polish Aircraft

Mieczysław Działowski

Mieczysław Działowski was born on August 16, 1904, in Mielec, Poland. He completed five years of primary school and two years of secondary school. In 1918, he volunteered for the Polish Army. Later discharged, he worked as a student in the aviation workshops of the pilot school in Kraków, under the supervision of his brother, Stanisław Działowski , whom he then assisted in the design and construction of aircraft. After the school moved to Bydgoszcz, he worked there as a foreman in the airframe assembly plant until his conscription.

From 1926 to 1928, he did his military service in the 4th Air Regiment in Toruń, where he also completed a pilot training course. Since his discharge, he has worked in Kraków, together with his brother, building the "Bydgoszczanka" glider and sports aircraft: DKD-I , DKD - II , DKD-III , DKD-IV , DKD-V , DKD-VI , DKD-VII , DKD-VIII , and the "Aeromobil" taxicab . In 1927, he and his brother, as an observer, completed the first Polish intercity flight from Bydgoszcz to Warsaw, lasting 2 hours 45 minutes. In the 2nd National Light Aircraft Competition (1928), he competed in a DKD-IV aircraft (together with Lt. Kowalczyk), taking 5th place. That same year, he and his brother founded the Bracia Działowscy company in Kraków (in the aviation park) with the intention of producing aircraft for the military. In 1938, he and his brother moved from Kraków to Warsaw to PZL Mokotów (WP-1) , where he was a foreman in the flight instruments department. In 1939, he was transferred to PZL WP-2 in Mielec .

In September 1939, as head of field assembly, he was evacuated to Romania along with the entire PZL personnel. Refusing to be interned, he later returned to Poland, to Mielec, where he established a mechanical workshop (still running it in 1963) and survived the occupation. After liberation, he co-organized the Mielec Aeroclub (1945) and flew there until 1948. Between 1949 and 1956, after failing his safety check, he was not involved in sports aviation. He returned in 1957, working on the board of the Mielec Aeroclub.

He was an honorary member of the Mielec Aeroclub and the Kraków Aeroclub. As a pilot, he flew 12 types of aircraft, totalling approximately 400 hours. He held the following medals and badges: the 10th Anniversary Medal (from the interwar period), the Gold Badge of Honor of the 9th Polish Air Force, and honorary member badges of the Mielec and Kraków Aeroclubs. Mieczysław Działowski died in Mielec in 1983.

Stanisław Działowski

Stanisław Działowski was born on April 11, 1900, in Mielec. He completed six years of primary school and two years of junior high school. In 1914-1915, he completed a locksmith apprenticeship and he began studying at an aircraft construction school) in Vienna, which he did not complete. On March 3, 1916, he joined the Austro-Hungarian Air Force in Vienna, from where he was posted to an aircraft construction school in Hungary (in Mauer and Szeged), where he remained until the end of World War I. He served as an aircraft mechanic.

After the war ended, he returned to Mielec. After Poland regained independence, he volunteered for the Polish Army in Kraków on November 11, 1918. He was commissioned as a corporal. He was assigned as a mechanic in the aircraft assembly plant at the Pilot School Park, from where he was transferred to Bydgoszcz in September 1920. There, he became head of aircraft assembly at the Pilot School.

He held this position until 1926. On April 1 of that year, he entered pilot school as a student pilot, after which (October 1, 1926) he was assigned as a pilot to the Institute of Aviation Technical Research in Warsaw, simultaneously serving as a pilot in the main airport's training squadron. In May 1927, at his own request, he transferred to the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków, where he worked as a test pilot and aircraft park designer. He also worked as a park controller and instructor. He participated in aviation competitions.

In 1928, together with his brother Mieczysław Działowski, he founded the aviation company Bracia Działowscy in the park with the intention of producing airplanes for the army.

Due to health problems, in 1936 he was discharged from the army and retired with the rank of senior sergeant pilot. For two years he ran his own company manufacturing glider parts. After that, he worked as a civilian employee in the 2nd Aircraft Regiment. Later, he worked at the LOPP school in Stanisławów. In 1938, together with his brother, he began working at PZL Warszawa, Mokotów (WP-1) as a master assembly worker. In 1939, he was transferred to work at PZL WP-2 in Mielec , from where, just before the war, he moved to the SHL Motorcycle Factory in Kielce.

During the interwar period, he was one of the most gifted aircraft designers. Working solely on his own, and as an amateur, he and his brother Mieczysław built five successful prototypes of sports aircraft, a glider, and an original car-plane (unfinished due to lack of funds), the so-called "Aeromobile . "

In 1925, they built the "Bydgoszczanka" glider , which competed in the 2nd National Gliding Competition in Gdynia's Oksywie district, where it received a diploma for its highly original design. Shortly after the "Bydgoszczanka" glider crashed at the 2nd Gliding Competition, they began building the aircraft. The Gabriel brothers' example undoubtedly influenced these decisions . Stanisław Działowski, the aircraft's designer, had nine years of experience in aircraft maintenance and repairs, including five years as head of the assembly plant at the Aviation Park of the Pilot School in Bydgoszcz. The aircraft's construction was facilitated by Bydgoszcz shoemaker Jan Krüger , an aviation enthusiast who purchased a Haacke engine from the Gabriel brothers. Hence, the aircraft received the designation DKD-I , derived from the names of the builders and the engine's founder. In 1926, the brothers made the first Polish intercity flight from Bydgoszcz to Warsaw in 2 hours 45 minutes. The next aircraft designs of the Działowski brothers were: DKD-II , DKD-III (took part in the 1927 National Light Aircraft Competition and took third place at the KKA in 1928), two DKD-IVs (with an Anzani engine and a Siemens-Halske engine, the machine with the former engine took first place in the 2nd National Light Aircraft Competition in 1928, with the latter - fifth place, both designers - participants of the competition, also as pilots received a prize of PLN 13,000 for the 1st and 3rd place of their machines), DKD-V (built for the Challenge in 1932, crashed during a forced landing, and the pilot S. Działowski suffered serious injuries), DKD-VI , DKD-VII , DKD-VIII (the last two were not fully realized) and "Aeromobil" (air taxi, unfinished).

Before the outbreak of the war, he abandoned independent construction work, discouraged by constant financial difficulties and poor health after the disaster.

In September 1939, with his eldest son, Stanisław, he volunteered for the 6th Air Regiment in Lviv. After the Russian invasion of Poland on September 17, 1939, he found himself in Romania . He escaped to France. Like many pilots, he volunteered for the reactivated Polish Air Force. In France, he worked in the Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 451 aircraft assembly plant . In March 1940, he became a flight instructor in the 108th Air Battalion in Montpellier.

After the fall of France, he was evacuated to Great Britain. On 27 June 1940, he was accepted into the RAF and, after training, flew with the 2nd Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Unit (AACU). He flew as a fighter pilot in one of the squadrons. On 15 October 1941, he was wounded in a combat flight and sent to a military hospital in Scotland. he was shot down over Germany near Hamburg, seriously wounded and captured. In a prisoner exchange in the spring of 1941, he returned to England. On 17 March 1941, he was released from the RAF due to his health. He was hospitalized and then to a sanatorium for further treatment. He died on 19 March 1942 in the RAF sanatorium in Perth. Buried in the local Wellhill Cemetery.

As a pilot, he flew approximately 800 hours in 20 types of aircraft and made 12 parachute jumps. He held the following decorations and awards: the Bronze Cross of Merit, the 10th Anniversary Medal, the Field Pilot Badge, the Golden Honorary Badge of the Polish Air Force (LOPP), and the Parachutist Badge.

Działowski Aircraft Designs

Działowski Bydgoszczanka 1925 Glider Single-seat Parasol Glider
Działowski DKD-I 1926 1x Haake 30 hp Two-seat Parasol Sports Aircraft
Działowski DKD-II 1926 1x Haake 30 hp Two-seat Parasol Sports Aircraft
Działowski DKD-III 1927 1x Anzani 45 hp Single-seat Parasol Sports Aircraft
Działowski DKD-IV 1929 1x Cirrus III 94 hp Two-seat Parasol Sports Aircraft
Działowski DKD-V 1929 1x Cirrus III 94 hp Two-seat Parasol Sports Aircraft
Działowski DKD-VI 1929 - Sports Aircraft Design
Działowski DKD-VII 1930 1x Armstong-Siddeley Genet 80 hp Three-seat High-wing Touring Aircraft
Działowski DKD-VIII 1930 1x Siemens-Halske Sh-4 55 hp Three-seat High-wing Touring Aircraft
Działowski DKD-IX 1930 ? Sports Aircraft Design
Działowski DKD-X 1930 1931 1x Napier Javelin 150 hp Two or Three Seat Experimental Flying car

Sources:
- Glass, Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939 (1977)
- Teofil Lenartowicz, 100 lat przygody Mielca z lotnictwem (2015)
- http://www.samolotypolskie.pl/samoloty/14795/126/Dzialowski-Mieczyslaw2
- http://www.samolotypolskie.pl/samoloty/14794/126/Dzialowski-Stanislaw
- https://dlapilota.pl/wiadomosci/polska/100-lat-lotnictwa-w-mielcu

 

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Działowski Bydgoszczanka Glider

In mid-1924, brothers Stanisław and Mieczysław Działowcy (later known as the DKD aircraft designers) began building a glider of their own design, called the "Bydgoszczanka," in the workshops of the Bydgoszcz Pilot School. Stanisław was the chief mechanic, and Mieczysław the mechanic at the school.

Construction of the glider was completed in 1925. The "Bydgoszczanka," with competition number 2, participated in the 2nd Glider Competition at Oksywie near Gdynia in May/June 1925, piloted by Strzelczyk. It made its first flight on May 18, 1925. Several flights were completed during the competition, with a total time of 1 minute and 12 seconds.

Initially, the glider had wheeled landing gear, a split elevator, and a low-mounted rudder, extending into the elevator cut-out. After damage during an unsuccessful take-off, the glider was modified by removing the elevator cut-out and placing the rudder higher, and then the landing gear was changed to skids.

Construction

Single-seat, wooden glider, with a high-wing configuration.

The fuselage was a flat lattice, consisting of an oval frame glued together from several layers of slats and vertical struts, crossed with wires. The seat was on a horizontal beam at the front of the fuselage. The control system consisted of a yoke and a T-bar. The horizontal lattice was braced to the wing with wires. The landing gear was suspended from the fuselage by a rubber cord. Initially, two wheels were mounted on the 1.6-meter-long landing gear axle, later two ash skids. The tail skid was wooden.

The wing was trapezoidal, two-spar, covered with plywood up to the first spar, and the remainder of the wing was fabric-covered. The wings were attached to a reinforced rib mounted on vertical struts in the fuselage grid and stiffened with wires running to the upper and lower fuselage frame rails. The ailerons, with large aerodynamic horn relief, could be simultaneously deflected down or up, assisting the elevator. The ailerons were stiffened with wires attached to the control levers. The horizontal stabilizer and rudders were fabric-covered. The horizontal stabilizer was stiffened with wires. The ailerons and rudders were actuated by cables. The upper aileron drive cable ran within the wing, the lower cable beneath the wing. Painting. The canvas cover was cellophane-coated. The competition number 2 painted on the rudder and aileron tips. The inscription "Bydgoszczanka" was on the rudder.

Technical Data Bydgoszczanka

Span 10.25 m
Length 6.5 m
Height 2.6 m
Loading Area 15 m
Empty Weight 78 kg
Usable Weight 70 kg
Total Weight 148 kg
Surface Load 9.9 kg/m²

Source:

- Glass, Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939 (1977)

 

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Działowski DKD-II

Although the DKD I proved to be quite a successful design, the brothers began work on improving it. This resulted in the creation of the DKD II, in which the older designer flew to Warsaw to present his aircraft. While in the capital, he received orders to be transferred to Kraków. On the return trip, when the aircraft was at an altitude of 150 meters, an engine exploded.

Once again, however, luck was on their side. The plane, along with the pilot, crashed into a nearby orchard, with the trees cushioning the fall. Działowski arrived in Kraków by train, taking the wreckage of the light aircraft with him. It was here, in the city of Kraków, that the Działowskis' subsequent aviation concepts were developed.

Działowski DKD-III

Wanting to participate in the 1st National Light Aircraft Competition, Stanisław Działowski began converting a crashed DKD-I aircraft in the summer of 1927. The Aeronautics Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs lent him a 45 HP Anzani engine. With the help of his colleagues, Działowski constructed a new fuselage and landing gear in the workshops of the 2nd Air Regiment in Kraków over the course of nine weeks. This resulted in the single-seat DKD-III, which incorporated the wing and tailplane from the DKD-I. The aircraft's initial empty weight was 240 kg. The cost of construction was 2,400 złoty.

On October 4, 1927, the DKD-III aircraft flew at Kraków-Rakowice Airport, receiving registration P-PAWD. During the test flight, the aircraft demonstrated satisfactory flight characteristics. Takeoff and landing were short, and the control sensitivity was high. The next day, the designer flew the DKD-III from Kowa, via Dęblin, to Warsaw, entering the Light Aircraft Competition the day before its opening. In the competition, the aircraft achieved the highest score for takeoff, landing, altitude, and disassembly (assembly time: 12 minutes and 13 seconds). However, the test flight was not successful, as an engine (magnetic) defect forced it to land on the Warsaw-Dębir route and delayed its arrival. Działowski placed fourth in the competition, receiving a prize of 1200 PLN. With financial support from the city of Mielec, the aircraft was improved in 1928; however, the improvements resulted in an increase in its weight.

In the 2nd Light Aircraft Competition in 1928, S. Działowski took fifth place in the DKD-III. In 1929, the aircraft received registration SP-ACR. In 1930, Lt. Pilot J. Gaździk flew it in the 3rd National Light Aircraft Competition (competition number 2), damaging the aircraft during a forced landing during a circular flight.

The DKD-III was used for several years for propaganda flights around Kraków, Kielce, and Silesia. It completed a total of approximately 1,800 flights, totaling 431 hours.

Działowski's DKD-III was one of the first successful Polish sports aircraft.

Construction

Single-seat sports aircraft of mixed construction, with a high-wing parasol configuration.

The fuselage was a welded steel tube truss, crisscrossed with steel wires, and covered with fabric overlaid on battens. The front of the fuselage was covered with aluminum sheeting. The open cockpit was protected by a windshield at the front. The aircraft was equipped with, among other things, an engine glow plug indicator. A step was mounted on the left side of the fuselage. The upper cockpit skin was made of aluminum sheeting. The landing gear was made of steel tubes, stiffened with wires, axial, two-wheel, and rubber-cord-cushioned. The tail skid was cushioned.

The wing was a trapezoidal, undivided, two-spar, wooden structure, covered with fabric. The wing nose was covered with plywood. The wing profile was G-441. The wing is attached to the fuselage on a steel tube turret and supported by two pairs of steel tube struts crossed with steel wire. The ailerons are aerodynamically loaded at the corners. The tailplane is rectangular, welded from steel tubes, covered with fabric. The tailplane is flat. The horizontal stabilizer is undivided. The stabilizers are braced with wire between each other and to the fuselage. The ailerons and rudders are driven by cables.

The engine is an air-cooled, six-cylinder, radial Anzani engine, rated at 45 hp at 1,450 rpm, weighing 72 kg.

The engine was equipped with a starter motor. The propeller was a two-blade, wooden, fixed propeller. The fuel tank was located in the forward fuselage section, with a cruise fuel consumption of 9.5 l/h.

The entire aircraft was painted dark blue. The fuselage elements were made of aluminum sheet metal and the wheel discs were silver. Initially, it bore only the "DKD" insignia on the rudder and the registration markings, later on the fuselage sides and top of the wing, black with a white outline, highlighted by a horizontal line, and the letter "P," representing the first letter of the aircraft's nationality, painted in the same colors on both sides of the rudder, in accordance with the regulations in force at the time. On both sides of the Plonowy vertical stabilizer were the Mielec coat of arms and the inscription "Mielec." The propeller, covered with clear varnish, featured small red and white checkerboards. After changing the registration marks, the letter "P" on the rudder was replaced with "SP," the Mielec coat of arms with the emblem of the Academic Aeroclub in Kraków, and the underlining of the registration marks was removed.

Technical Data DKD-III

Wingspan 8.4 m
Length 5.2 m
Height 2.1 m
Wing Area 11.5 m²
Empty Weight 293 kg (314 kg after 1928 modification)
Useful Weight 127 kg (149 kg after 1928 modification)
Gross Weight 420 kg (maximum 463 kg)
Area Loading 36.5 kgf/m²
Power Loading 9.3 kgf/hp
Maximum Speed 125 km/h
Cruise Speed 110 km/h
Minimum Speed 72 km/h
Rate of Climb 2 m/s
Service Ceiling 3800 m
Range 500 km
Take-Off 60-70 m
Landing Distance 60-70 m

Działowski DKD-IV & DKD-IVbis

The good results achieved by the DKD-III at the 1st National Light Aircraft Competition encouraged S. Działowski to continue his design work.

In the second half of 1928, Działowski developed a design for a two-seater sports aircraft – the DKD-IV. LOPP covered the cost of materials. Działowski's propaganda flights in the DKD-III to cities in the Kraków Voivodeship, as well as the issuance of special 10 groszy stamps and postcards, helped raise funds for the purchase of a Siemens 55 HP engine. Materials were purchased on credit and in installments from the PZL, PWS, and Plage and Laśkiewicz factories.

Działowski simultaneously built two DKD-IV aircraft: one (factory number 1) with a Siemens 55 HP engine, designated DKD-IV bis, and initially named DKD-V, for LOPP (Local Aviation Company). The other (factory number 2), designated DKD-IV for the Academic Aeroclub in Kraków, which supplied it with a 45 HP Anzani engine and covered the cost of the materials.

The DKD-IV bis also differed from the DKD-IV in having truncated aileron tips. The cost of building one aircraft was 4,000 złoty. The aircraft underwent a static test in October 1928 in the presence of a representative of the IBTL.

Both aircraft were built at the 2nd Air Regiment Park in Kraków and first flew in September 1928 at the Kraków Aeroclub, Rakowice Airport before the 2nd National Light Aircraft Competition.

The empty weight of the DKD-IV was supposed to be 260 kg, and the DKD-IV bis 280 kg (but was exceeded by 65 kg).

J. Bargiel (competition no. 15) took part in the 2nd National Airplane Competition on DKD-IV, and on DKD-IV bis, Lt. pil. Kaczmarczyk and M. Działowski. During the flight from Krakow to Warsaw
the DKD-IV was slightly damaged, and at the Competition quite seriously. Thanks to the help of DKD-IV bis workers from the Polish Airline Aerolot, both aircraft were repaired in time. In the 2nd Competition, the DKD-IV took first place, and the DKD-IV bis took third place. Initially, the DKD-IV bis had lower performance than the DKD-IV due to improper powerplant adjustment. In the fall of 1928, the commander of the 2nd Air Regiment wanted to order 25 DKD-IVs for the military, but the Department of Aeronautics did not accept the order. The first aircraft in the series for the military was already under construction.

At the turn of 1928 and 1929, S. Działowski completed the construction of this example (factory number 3), equipped with a 45 HP Anzani engine, for the Kraków Academic Aeroclub. The aircraft had a modified undercarriage. After the introduction of a new aircraft registration system in 1929, These aircraft received the following registration marks: DKD-IV bis, factory number 1-SP-ABA, later changed to SP-ABX, DKD-IV factory number 2 SP-ABL, and factory number 3 SP-ABY.

The DKD-IV aircraft had low control efficiency at low deflections, because due to the flat tail profile, the rudder only emerged from the vortex blind spot at higher deflections. The SP-ABL was quite famous for the three flights piloted by J. Soltykowski under the Dębnicki Bridge in Kraków on January 28, 1930.

The SP-ABA aircraft was exhibited at the 1929 General National Exhibition in Poznań. In May 1930, K. Piotrowski flew the DKD-IV to Olomouc and Brno. The DKD-IV SP-ABY, with a temporary With an enlarged rudder, flights were performed with an acrobat suspended from a trapeze.

The aircraft were used for training and propaganda flights (e.g., during ski competitions in Zakopane). They also participated in the South-West Poland Flight in 1929 (in which Działowski, flying SP-ABY, won 3rd prize) and in the Podhale Light Aircraft Rally in Nowy Targ on August 3, 1930.

In the 3rd National Light Aircraft Competition in 1930, Second Lieutenant E. Kowalczyk, flying a DKD-IV bis, took 11th place due to damage that prevented him from completing a circular flight.

DKD-IV no. 2 was renovated in 1934. During the renovation, the aircraft was converted into a single-seater by covering the first cockpit, and the fuselage. The aircraft was covered with fabric directly on the truss, resulting in flat sides. After renovation, the aircraft was used by the Kraków Aeroclub from May 1934 to the end of July 1935.

Construction

A two-seat mixed-construction sports aircraft with a high-wing, parasol-type layout. The fuselage was welded from steel tubes, crossed with wires, and covered with fabric stretched over wooden battens. Open cockpits, protected by windshields. A step was located on the left side of the fuselage. Controls were in both cockpits. The front and top of the fuselage were covered with aluminum sheeting under the wing. The landing gear was a two-wheeled, axial-sprung design, made of welded steel tubes, with rubber shock absorbers. The tail skid was shock absorbent.

The wing was trapezoidal, two-section, two-spar, wooden, and covered with fabric except for the nose. covered with plywood, mounted on the hull on four steel pipes and supported by two pairs

Steel tube struts crossed with wires. The flat-profile tailplane, welded from steel tubes and covered with fabric, is stiffened with wire to each other and to the fuselage. The ailerons are driven by pushrods extending diagonally from the fuselage sides to the wing and by cables in the wing. The rudders are driven by cables.

The DKD-IV version's engine is an air-cooled, six-cylinder, radial Anzani, with an output of 45 hp at 1,450 rpm and a weight of 72 kg; the DKD-IV bis version's engine is an air-cooled, five-cylinder, radial Siemens-Halske Sh-4, with an output of 55 hp. The propeller is a two-blade, fixed wooden propeller. The fuel tank is located in the upper forward section of the fuselage. Fuel consumption with the Anzani engine is 10.5 l/h, with the Siemens engine 13 l/h. The DKD-VI was painted light, and the DKD-IV bis was painted dark.

Technical Data DKD-IV

Wingspan 9.0 m
Length 5.5 m
Height 2.28 m
Wing Area 13.5 m²
Empty Weight 264 kg (318 kg after modification)
Useful Weight 230 kg
Gross Weight 648 kg
Area Loading 40.0 kg/m²
Power Loading 12.0 kg/hp
Maximum Speed 135 km/h
Cruise Speed 126 km/h
Minimum Speed 75 km/h
Rate of Climb 1.5 m/s
Service Ceiling 2270 m
Take-Off 90 m
Landing Distance 110 m

Technical Data DKD-IVbis

Wingspan 9.0 m
Length 5.5 m
Height 2.2 m
Wing Area 13.5 m²
Empty Weight 344 kg (374 kg after modification)
Useful Weight 242 kg (293 kg after modification)
Gross Weight 616 kg (637 kg after modification)
Area Loading 47.0 kg/m²
Power Loading 11.5 kg/hp
Maximum Speed 140 km/h
Cruise Speed 126 km/h
Minimum Speed 80 km/h
Rate of Climb 1.4 m/s
Service Ceiling 2235 m
Take-Off 110 m
Landing Distance 160 m

Sources:
- Glass, Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939 (1977)
- https://bydgoszcz.tvp.pl/69175758/lotnicza-pasja-braci-dzialowskich

 

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Działowski DKD-V

In 1929, S. Działowski, commissioned by LOPP, designed and built the DKD-V two-seater sports aircraft, a development of the DKD-IV.

The aircraft was intended to participate in the International Tourist Airplane Competition – Challenge 1930, in which it was to bear the competition number 0-3. The aircraft was built in the workshops of the 2nd Aircraft Regiment in Kraków and first flown by the designer at Kraków Rakowice Airport in July 1930. The DKD-V received the registration SP-ACY. The aircraft's construction cost was 5,200 złoty. During the flight to Warsaw, from where the planes were to fly to Berlin for the competition, S. Działowski in the DKD-V made an emergency landing near Końskie due to a broken fuselage.
caused by a fuel leak. Upon landing, the aircraft struck a pile of rocks, overturned, and was severely damaged, and the pilot sustained serious injuries.

Shortly after the accident, the aircraft was renovated at the expense of the LOPP. It was used for LOPP propaganda flights and participated in rallies. Later, it was transferred to the Kraków Aeroclub, and after modifications in the summer of 1931, it was used as an interim aircraft for training and aerobatics. After a few years, it fell out of service. Further developments of this aircraft were the three-seat DKD-VII and DKD-VIII, designed in 1930 by S. Działowski.

The DKD-V differed from previous DKD designs primarily in its fuselage construction, made of duralumin tubes connected by steel elbows, and its axleless landing gear with oil and air suspension.

Construction

A two-seat mixed-construction sports aircraft with a high-wing parasol configuration.

The fuselage was a truss structure made of duralumin tubes connected by welded steel elbows. The truss panels were crossed with steel wires. Open cockpits, protected at the front by windshields. The undercarriage was a two-wheeled, axleless steel tube landing gear with oil-air shock absorbers. The wheels had brakes. The tail skid was made of ash, cushioned by a rubber cord. The wing was a three-part, trapezoidal, wooden, two-spar (box spars), covered with fabric. The central section consisted of a canopy supported by steel tube posts. The wing was supported by two pairs of duralumin tube struts stiffened with steel wires. The wings folded for transport and storage. Dismantling time: 10 minutes. The wooden tail structure was mounted. The rudders and ailerons were driven by cables. Air-cooled, four-cylinder, in-line Cirrus III engine, with takeoff power of 94 hp at 2100 rpm and nominal power of 85 hp at 1900 rpm, weighing 130 kg. Fixed, two-blade wooden propeller. Fuel tank located at the top of the forward fuselage.

Technical Data DKD-V

Span 10.0 m
Length 6.3 m
Height 2.1 m
Wing Area 18 m²
Empty Weight 440 kg
Useful Weight 210 kg
Gross Weight 650 kg
Area Load 36 kg/m²
Power Load 7.65 kg/hp
Maximum Speed 175 km/h
Cruise Speed 150 km/h
Minimum Speed 75 km/h
Climb Rate 2.5 m/s
Ceiling 3500 m
Take-Off 110 m
Landing Run 50 m

Działowski DKD-VI

Around 1930, Stanisław Działowski designed the DKD-VI aircraft . The project was never implemented.

Działowski DKD-VII

In 1929, S. Działowski developed a design for a three-seat, high-wing training and tourist aircraft for flying clubs, a development of the DKD-V. The version with a 55 hp Siemens engine was designated DKD-VII. A Genet powered aircraft was designated the DKD-VIII.

A design evaluation conducted by the Aerodynamic Institute in Warsaw and the Institute of Aviation Technical Research revealed numerous design deficiencies. Withholding support for the project, a lack of funding, and the designer's interest in a new design resulted in the suspension of work type.

Construction

Three-seat mixed-construction trainer and touring aircraft with a braced high-wing configuration.

Trunk fuselage constructed of duralumin tubes connected by steel elbows. Three cabins in a tandem configuration. Dual controls. The first cabin featured a flight instrument panel. The luggage compartment could be replaced with a fourth cabin. The main landing gear was tri-bladed.

Three-section, trapezoidal, twin-spar wing, fabric-covered, and supported by duralumin struts. Rearward-folding wings.

Powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Genet, 80 hp with a fixed two-blade wooden propeller.

Technical Data DKD-VII

Span 11 m
Length 7.3 m
Height 2.35 m
Wing Area 20.0 m²
Empty Weight
380 kg
Useful Weight 420 kg
Gross Weight 800 kg
Area Load 40 kg/m²
Power Load 10 kg/hp
Maximum Speed 155 km/h
Cruise Speed 135 km/h
Minimum Speed 60 km/h
Climb Rate 3 m/s
Ceiling 3600 m
Range 640 km

Sources:

- Glass, Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939 (1977)
- http://www.samolotypolskie.pl/samoloty/848/126/DKD-VI2

 

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Działowski DKD-VIII

In 1929, Działowski developed a design for a three-seat, high-wing training and tourist aircraft for flying clubs, a development of the DKD-V. A version with the 80 hp Genet engine was designated DKD-VII. The version with the 55 hp Siemens engine was designated DKD-VIII.

In 1930, work began on the construction of the DKD-VIII. A design evaluation conducted by the Aerodynamic Institute in Warsaw and the Institute of Aviation Technical Research revealed numerous design deficiencies. Withholding support for the project, a lack of funding, and the designer's interest in a new design, the DKD-X, resulted in the suspension of work on the DKD-VIII.

Construction

Three-seat mixed-construction trainer and touring aircraft with a braced high-wing configuration.

Trunk fuselage constructed of duralumin tubes connected by steel elbows. Three cabins in a tandem configuration. Dual controls. The first cabin featured a flight instrument panel. The luggage compartment could be replaced with a fourth cabin. The main landing gear was tri-bladed.

Three-section, trapezoidal, twin-spar wing, fabric-covered, and supported by duralumin struts. Rearward-folding wings. The wing had a STAé 72A airfoil profile.

Air-cooled, five-cylinder, radial engine, Siemens-Halske Sh-4, 55 hp. Fixed two-blade wooden propeller.

Technical Data DKD-VIII

Span 11 m
Length 7.3 m
Height 2.35 m
Wing Area 20.0 m²
Empty Weight
380 kg
Useful Weight 420 kg
Gross Weight 800 kg
Area Load 40 kg/m²
Power Load 10 kg/hp
Maximum Speed 155 km/h
Cruise Speed 135 km/h
Minimum Speed 60 km/h
Climb Rate 3 m/s
Ceiling 3600 m
Range 640 km

Działowski DKD-IX

Stanisław Działowski designed the DKD-IX aircraft. The sports design project was never completed due to the designers eagerness to complete the DKD-X flying car.

Działowski DKD-X Aeromobil

(see also https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/dkd-ix-or-x-project.18333/#post-175751)

While developing designs for the DKD-VI, VII, VIII, and IX aircraft, Stanislav Działowski conceived the idea of building a car-aeroplane. He designated this project the DKD-X "Aeromobil." The idea of the "Aeromobil" so captivated him that he abandoned his previous projects and devoted all his energy to the DKD-X.

The preliminary DKD-X design was developed in 1930-1931. Działowski led the design and its implementation with the assistance of technician Tadeusz

The "Aeromobil" was intended to serve as an air taxi, ambulance, or liaison aircraft. With its wings folded, it could be driven on the ground, and with its wings and tail removed, it could be used as a car. For ground driving, the "Aeromobil" was to be powered by a separate engine.

The construction of the "Aeromobil" was to be quite expensive, costing 50,000-60,000 złoty, ten times more than the cost of building the DKD-V. To cover these costs, Sergeant A. Drozdowski organized a Committee for the Construction of the "Aeromobil," which by the spring of 1933 had raised 38,000 złoty from non-commissioned officers. In April 1933, the Deputy Minister of Military Affairs banned further fundraising due to the omission of official channels in organizing this campaign. In 1934, Działowski developed a new, improved design for the "Aeromobile," with a different fuselage and a modified structure.

S. Działowski and T. Tyrała, in addition to calculations and documentation, created a model for an aerodynamic wind tunnel, a life-size cabin mockup, and a test design of a vehicle part. This vehicle, made of old steel pipes and powered by a 12 HP engine, underwent driving and load tests on the streets of Krakow, reaching a speed of 60 km/h. According to the opinions of the Aerodynamic Institute in Warsaw and the Institute of Aviation Technical Research from 1934 and 1935, the aircraft would not have reached the speed of 210 km/h projected by the designer, but 140 km/h. These opinions prevented them from obtaining permission to resume the fundraising campaign. The designer, however, began construction of the DKD-X fuselage. This work was interrupted by his illness in 1935 and a shortage of approximately 8,000 złoty to complete the project. According to the designer, work was 87% complete and could be completed within four months. The "Aeromobile" fuselage was displayed at the National Aviation Exhibition in Lviv in June 1938.

Construction

A two-seater (or three-seater) experimental aircraft of mixed construction, with a high-wing configuration. The fuselage was a welded truss structure made of steel tubes and covered with fabric.

The forward section of the fuselage contained a cabin with two side-by-side seats (the second version provided a third seat or space for a stretcher), the engine, and the fuel tanks. It was covered with sheet metal and had a tricycle landing gear, equipped with two steerable wheels at the front, cushioned by rubber discs, and a single rear wheel driven by a gearbox. 650x120 mm wheels with calliper brakes. Front wheels for take-off and landing, with directional locking. During flight, the drive wheel was to be retracted into the fuselage, and for ground travel, extended to 1/3 of the wheel height. The steering wheel, when set in the vertical position, was used to steer the vehicle's wheels, and when set horizontally, it controlled the ailerons and elevator. The rear fuselage was welded from steel tubes, covered with fabric, and easily disassembled.

The wing was a two-piece, two-spar, wooden structure. The nose was covered with plywood, and the remainder of the wing was covered with fabric. The wings were attached to the fuselage and supported by V-struts. The wing profile was G-441. The wings were foldable and easily disassembled. Disassembly time was 16 minutes. The tailplane was welded from steel tubes, covered with fabric. Aileron and rudder drive by pushrods.

The engine was an air-cooled, six-cylinder, in-line Napier Javelin, with a rated power of 150 hp at 2000 rpm, takeoff power of 170 hp, and a weight of 190 kg. (This was not the Napier Lyon, as reported; the Lyon had 450 hp and 12 cylinders.) The propeller was a two-bladed, wooden, fixed propeller. The second version had a two-bladed, metal, adjustable Letov propeller. The first versionhad a fuel tank under the crew seats, in the second - the tank was located under the wheels . For rear-wheel drive there was a two-cylinder Moto-Schakosch engine of 16 HP on 180 litres of fuel in the wing canopy.

Technical Data DKD-X

Version I

Span 9.0 m
Length 6.8 m
Height 1.7 m
Loading Area 16 m²
Empty Weight 380 kg
Payload 220 kg
Total Weight 600 kg
Loading Area 37.5 kg/m²
Loading Power 4 kg/hp

Version II

Span 12.9 m
Length 7.45 m
Height 1.73 m
Loading Area 21.2 m²
Empty Weight 450 kg
Payload 300 kg
Total Weight 750 kg
Loading Area 36.0 kg/m²
Loading Power 5 kg/hp
Speed Maximum 210 km/h
Cruising speed 180 km/h
Stalling speed 75 km/h
Run-off 90 m

Sources:

- Glass, Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939 (1977)
- http://www.samolotypolskie.pl/samoloty/850/126/DKD-IX2