PWS-51

The PWS‑51 was a Polish single‑engine trainer and liaison aircraft built in the late 1930s by Podlaska Wytwórnia Samolotów (PWS). Designed by Zbigniew Czerwiński as a modern replacement for older biplane trainers, the prototype first flew on 15 May 1935 and entered limited production the following year. The low‑wing monoplane featured a wooden semi‑monocoque fuselage, a two‑seat tandem cockpit enclosed by a glazed canopy, and a fixed, trouser‑type undercarriage with a tail wheel. Power was supplied by a 140 hp Walter Major radial engine driving a two‑bladed propeller, giving a maximum speed of about 245 km/h, a service ceiling of 6 500 m and a range of 780 km. Its handling was praised for stability and ease of control, making it suitable for basic pilot instruction as well as light transport duties. Although only 35 units were completed before the outbreak of World War II, the PWS‑51 demonstrated the shift in Polish aeronautical design toward all‑metal, low‑wing concepts. Surviving examples were seized by the Luftwaffe, and the type is remembered as a transitional step that helped prepare Poland’s pilots for the more advanced fighters that followed.