PZL.38 Wilk

PZL.38 Wilk
	PZL.38
Role	Heavy fighter
Manufacturer	Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze
First flight	1938
Number built	2
Variants	PZL.48 Lampart

The PZL.38 Wilk (wolf) (PZL-38) was a Polish heavy fighter developed and manufactured by PZL state factory in 1937. Intended for use primarily as a fighter-bomber, the Polish Air Force also envisioned it replacing light fighters in long-range operations, along with being able to serve as a light bomber. Only two examples were built before the project was cancelled in favor of a planned improved variant, the PZL.48 Lampart (itself never built owing to the outbreak of WWII).

Design and development

In 1934 the

PZL Foka (Seal) light-weight V-engine, designed by Stanisław Nowkuński of Polish Skoda Works (then PZL WS-1). Unfortunately, Nowkuński died in the Tatry

mountains on 30 July 1936, and work on the engine slowed. Due to technical problems, overheating and vibration, it was decided to use a foreign engine.

In 1937 two prototypes of PZL.38 were built. The second one (PZl.38/II) received the American Ranger SGV-770B engines (420-450 hp), which were less powerful than the PZL "Foka" engine. As a result, the prototype didn't meet expected performance. The second prototype flew first in April or May 1936. The first prototype PZl.38/I, received the PZL Foka engine. The airplane was shown in 1938 at the Paris Air Show. It was flown only in February or March 1939 and also did not meet expected performance (estimated maximum speed was 520 km/h, while it hardly reached 465 km/h). It was also too heavy (2155 kg instead of 1715 kg) and had too small useful load. Because of these facts, further development of PZL.38 "Wilk" aircraft and "Foka" engine was abandoned in the spring of 1939, in a favour of the new construction PZL.48 "Lampart" - which was a modification of "Wilk" with radial engines.