Book Review of
PZL P.11c Fighter
Yellow Series No. 6145
Authors: Bartlomiej Belcarz &
Tomasz J. Kopański
MMP/Stratus
ISBN: 978-83-66549-06-7
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $35.00
Copyright 2020
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $35.00
Copyright 2020
HISTORY:
PZL P.11 The PZL P.11 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed and constructed during the early 1930s by Warsaw-based aircraft manufacturer PZL. Possessing an all-metal structure, metal-covering, and high-mounted gull wing, the type held the distinction of being widely considered to have briefly been the most advanced fighter aircraft of its kind in the world.
The design of the P.11 commenced during the late 1920s, initially designated as the P.1. The primary individual responsible for its development was Polish aeronautical engineer Zygmunt Puławski, who has been attributed as having designed many of its innovative features.
While the majority of the world's forces were still using biplanes, the P.1 used a high-mounted and aerodynamically clean gull wing, which provided the pilot with a superior field of view. During September 1929, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight.
The design quickly drew international attention; the general layout became commonly known as the "Polish wing" or "Puławski wing".The P.11 served as Poland's primary fighter defence throughout the 1930s, including during the Polish campaign of 1939 by neighbouring Nazi Germany.
However, as a consequence of the rapid advances in aircraft design during the late 1930s (seen in such fighters as the Messerschmitt Bf 109), it was outclassed by its rivals at the onset of the war. The majority of the Polish Air Force's P.11s were destroyed during 1939; however, it is believed that as many as 36 were flown to Romania and were subsequently taken over by the Romanian Air Force.
The P.11 was a considerable export success. During October 1933, deliveries of Polish-built P.11bs to Romania commenced
From 1936, Romanian aircraft manufacturer Industria Aeronautică Română (IAR) constructed a further 95 aircraft under the designation of IAR P.11f, powered by the Romanian-built IAR 9Krse engine. A dedicated export model of the P.11, which was designated as the PZL P.24, was developed during
Reportedly, Greece, Portugal, Yugoslavia, Turkey and Republican Spain were at one point interested in procuring the P.11; these eventually resulted in several nations, including Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey purchased the P.24 instead.
The main production version of the PZL P11 was the P11c for Lotnictwo Wojskowe.[1] 150 built.the late 1930s.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: PZL & IAR
Designer: Zygmunt Puławski
First flight: August 1931[1]
Introduction to service: 1934
Retired: 1944
Primary users: Polish Air Force & Royal Romanian Air Force
Number built: 325
Developed from: PZL P.7
Variants: PZL P.24
THE BOOK:
MMP – Mushroom Model Publications is based in the UK. All their books are printed in English by their associate Stratus, that is based in Sandomierz, Poland.
Stratus also does their own line of books in Polish and English.
The book is soft cover of 152 pages in 8” x 11 ½” page format.
The cover art shows a black and white photo of a PZL P.11c running up its engine on a grassy field. It is overall khaki, with a narrow pale-blue horizontal stripe over the Polish Air Force checkerboard insignia on the rudder flap. It has a white no. 10 on the side of the fuselage, followed by a white triangle with a black bird with yellow wings on it.
This aircraft is shown on page 128 as a color side-view profile.
It is a PZL P.11c, serial no. 8.70, code no. 10, Lt. Hieronim Dudwal, 113th Fighter Flight, Poniatow Airfield, near Warsaw, September 1939. Upper surfaces are khaki and bottom surfaces are dark blue-grey.
The back cover shows a color side profile of a early production PZL P.11c in overall khaki, with just the Polish Air Force checkerboard insignia on its rudder flap.
The book contains 18 color side view profiles and four 4-views of the PZL P.11c in Polish Air Force markings, a 4-view and a side view of Yugoslavian Air Force markings.
Color profiles are done by Artur Juszczak.
There are 109 color photos and 104 black and white ones included in the book and four data lists.
106 of the color photos are walk around type, taken of a preserved PZL P.11c in a museum.
The aircraft are shown on wheels and skis.
Illustrations out of tech manuals include: wing & fuselage structures, tail section, main wheels, tail skid, cowling, seat, rudder, and elevator interiors.
There are two black and white photos of the dashboard.
There are 10 side-view line drawings, 2 top-view line drawings, 2 head-on view line drawings.
There is a black and white photo of the cover art of MMP’s
Scale Plans series book on the PZL P.11c.
Included is a color illustration of the instrument panel, with the dials all named.
Color swatches of Nobiles Brand hobby paints are shown.
The main color of Polish Air Force PZL P.11c is khaki.
On Yugoslavian Air Force ones it is olive-green.
Chapters on Polish Flights (Squadrons) are on: the 111th,112th,113th, 114th, 121st, 122nd, 123rd, 131st, 132nd, 141st, 142nd, 151st, 152nd, 161st and 162nd Flights.
This is a neat book. It will be of much interest to modelers planning on building a PZL P.11c or also to aviation historians.
I want to thank Casemate Publishers, the North American distributor of MMP books and Dr. Roger Wallsgrove, head editor of MMP books for this review sample.
All MMP book titles can be viewed on MMP’s website at:
PZL P.11 The PZL P.11 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed and constructed during the early 1930s by Warsaw-based aircraft manufacturer PZL. Possessing an all-metal structure, metal-covering, and high-mounted gull wing, the type held the distinction of being widely considered to have briefly been the most advanced fighter aircraft of its kind in the world.
The design of the P.11 commenced during the late 1920s, initially designated as the P.1. The primary individual responsible for its development was Polish aeronautical engineer Zygmunt Puławski, who has been attributed as having designed many of its innovative features.
While the majority of the world's forces were still using biplanes, the P.1 used a high-mounted and aerodynamically clean gull wing, which provided the pilot with a superior field of view. During September 1929, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight.
The design quickly drew international attention; the general layout became commonly known as the "Polish wing" or "Puławski wing".The P.11 served as Poland's primary fighter defence throughout the 1930s, including during the Polish campaign of 1939 by neighbouring Nazi Germany.
However, as a consequence of the rapid advances in aircraft design during the late 1930s (seen in such fighters as the Messerschmitt Bf 109), it was outclassed by its rivals at the onset of the war. The majority of the Polish Air Force's P.11s were destroyed during 1939; however, it is believed that as many as 36 were flown to Romania and were subsequently taken over by the Romanian Air Force.
The P.11 was a considerable export success. During October 1933, deliveries of Polish-built P.11bs to Romania commenced
From 1936, Romanian aircraft manufacturer Industria Aeronautică Română (IAR) constructed a further 95 aircraft under the designation of IAR P.11f, powered by the Romanian-built IAR 9Krse engine. A dedicated export model of the P.11, which was designated as the PZL P.24, was developed during
Reportedly, Greece, Portugal, Yugoslavia, Turkey and Republican Spain were at one point interested in procuring the P.11; these eventually resulted in several nations, including Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey purchased the P.24 instead.
The main production version of the PZL P11 was the P11c for Lotnictwo Wojskowe.[1] 150 built.the late 1930s.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: PZL & IAR
Designer: Zygmunt Puławski
First flight: August 1931[1]
Introduction to service: 1934
Retired: 1944
Primary users: Polish Air Force & Royal Romanian Air Force
Number built: 325
Developed from: PZL P.7
Variants: PZL P.24
THE BOOK:
MMP – Mushroom Model Publications is based in the UK. All their books are printed in English by their associate Stratus, that is based in Sandomierz, Poland.
Stratus also does their own line of books in Polish and English.
The book is soft cover of 152 pages in 8” x 11 ½” page format.
The cover art shows a black and white photo of a PZL P.11c running up its engine on a grassy field. It is overall khaki, with a narrow pale-blue horizontal stripe over the Polish Air Force checkerboard insignia on the rudder flap. It has a white no. 10 on the side of the fuselage, followed by a white triangle with a black bird with yellow wings on it.
This aircraft is shown on page 128 as a color side-view profile.
It is a PZL P.11c, serial no. 8.70, code no. 10, Lt. Hieronim Dudwal, 113th Fighter Flight, Poniatow Airfield, near Warsaw, September 1939. Upper surfaces are khaki and bottom surfaces are dark blue-grey.
The back cover shows a color side profile of a early production PZL P.11c in overall khaki, with just the Polish Air Force checkerboard insignia on its rudder flap.
The book contains 18 color side view profiles and four 4-views of the PZL P.11c in Polish Air Force markings, a 4-view and a side view of Yugoslavian Air Force markings.
Color profiles are done by Artur Juszczak.
There are 109 color photos and 104 black and white ones included in the book and four data lists.
106 of the color photos are walk around type, taken of a preserved PZL P.11c in a museum.
The aircraft are shown on wheels and skis.
Illustrations out of tech manuals include: wing & fuselage structures, tail section, main wheels, tail skid, cowling, seat, rudder, and elevator interiors.
There are two black and white photos of the dashboard.
There are 10 side-view line drawings, 2 top-view line drawings, 2 head-on view line drawings.
There is a black and white photo of the cover art of MMP’s
Scale Plans series book on the PZL P.11c.
Included is a color illustration of the instrument panel, with the dials all named.
Color swatches of Nobiles Brand hobby paints are shown.
The main color of Polish Air Force PZL P.11c is khaki.
On Yugoslavian Air Force ones it is olive-green.
Chapters on Polish Flights (Squadrons) are on: the 111th,112th,113th, 114th, 121st, 122nd, 123rd, 131st, 132nd, 141st, 142nd, 151st, 152nd, 161st and 162nd Flights.
This is a neat book. It will be of much interest to modelers planning on building a PZL P.11c or also to aviation historians.
I want to thank Casemate Publishers, the North American distributor of MMP books and Dr. Roger Wallsgrove, head editor of MMP books for this review sample.
All MMP book titles can be viewed on MMP’s website at:
Highly Recommended.