PZL P.11

what is it?

The PZL P.11 is a Polish fighter aircraft, designed and produced in the early 1930s by Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze. Possessing an all-metal structure, metal-covering, and high-mounted gull wing, the type held the distinction of being widely considered the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world at the time of its introduction into service. Work on the PZL P.11 began in the 1930, based on experience with previous aircraft from the family of fighters derived from the PZL P.1.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · fixed tailwheel (taildragger) · 10.7 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 390 km/htop speed
• range 700 kmwithout refuelling
• size 1,800 kgmax take-off weight
• built 350made in total

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 95 years ago, in 1931.
• 🏎️Top speed is 3.0× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 10.7 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1931-08

introduced

1934

retired

1944

status

retired

number built

350

role

fighter

origin

Second Polish Republic

makers

Industria Aeronautică Română, PZL

engines

1× Bristol Mercury V.S2 / radial engine

crew

1

length

7.6 m

wingspan

10.7 m

height

2.9 m

max take-off weight

1,800 kg

top speed

390 km/h

range

700 km

ceiling

8,000 m

landing gear

fixed conventional landing gear

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.