1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Samolot PZL-23 "Karaś" na lotnisku NAC 1-W-1554: Unknown author Unknown author· Public domain
what is it?
The PZL.23 Karaś (crucian carp) was a Polish light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft designed in the mid-1930s by PZL in Warsaw. During the interwar period, the Polish High Command had placed considerable emphasis upon the role of armed aerial reconnaissance aircraft. To meet this interest, during 1931, PZL decided to embark on the development of a new combat aircraft to meet this role.
How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 14 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 92 years ago, in 1934.
- Top speed is 2.5× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- Wingspan of 14 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
- Range of 1,260 km: 7× Amsterdam to Brussels.
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1934-04-01
- introduced
- 1936
- retired
- 1946
- status
- retired
- number built
- 250
- role
- light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft
- origin
- 🇵🇱 Poland
- makers
- PZL
- engines
- 1× P.Z.L. Pegasus IIM2
- crew
- 3
- length
- 9.7 m
- wingspan
- 14 m
- height
- 3.3 m
- max take-off weight
- 2,893 kg
- top speed
- 319 km/h
- range
- 1,260 km
- ceiling
- 7,300 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q301639, Wikipedia: PZL.23 Karaś (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.