RWD - 14 Czapla The RWD - 14 Czapla ( LWS Czapla ) was a Polish army cooperation aircraft ( observation , close reconnaissance and liaison aircraft ) , designed in the mid - 1930s by the RWD team , and produced in the LWS factory from 1938 . A series of 65 aircraft were built and most were used by the Polish Air Force observation squadrons during World War II in 1939 . Design and development . The aircraft was designed in response to a Polish Air Force requirement of 1933 for a new army cooperation plane , a successor of the Lublin R - XIII . The RWD team of the DWL workshops ( " Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze " ) initially proposed the RWD - 12 project , based on the RWD - 8 trainer . It was however considered as not as good as the R - XIII , and was not built . Another aircraft , the RWD - 14 was designed by Stanislaw Rogalski and Jerzy Drzewiecki instead . Designer Tadeusz Chyliński prepared its technical documentation . The first prototype was flown in December 1935 . It won the contest over the Lublin R - XXI project and the PWS factory project , but factory trials showed that its performance was still not satisfactory . In 1937 two modified prototypes were built , designated RWD - 14a , but both crashed during trials that year due to steering mechanism faults ( the pilots survived ) . Finally , in early 1938 the fourth improved prototype , designated RWD - 14b , was built . After successful trials it was ordered by the Polish Air Force , receiving the name Czapla ( Polish : " heron " ) , but due to a long development process , it was regarded as only an interim model , to replace the R - XIII until the advent of the more modern LWS - 3 Mewa . In return for refunding the development costs , the DWL gave the rights to produce the RWD - 14b to the state factory LWS ( " Lubelska Wytwórnia Samolotów " – Lublin Aircraft Works , a successor of the Plage i Laśkiewicz ) . The LWS built a series of 65 RWD - 14b Czapla by February 1939 . They were also known under a military designation LWS Czapla . Operational history . The Czapla entered service in the Polish Air Force in the spring of 1939 , equipping some observation squadrons ( " eskadra obserwacyjna " ) . Due to its long development , it was not a modern aircraft , only a little better than the Lublin R - XIII . Its advantage was its short take - off ( 140 m ) and landing ( 120 m ) , enabling it to operate from fields and meadows . Its modern successor , the LWS - 3 Mewa , did not manage to enter operational units due to the war . By the invasion of Poland in 1939 , the Polish Air Force had 35 Czaplas in five observation squadrons ( out of twelve ) : No . ' s 13 , 23 , 33 , 53 and 63 , each with seven aircraft . Squadrons were distributed among the field Armies . The remaining 30 Czaplas were initially in reserve . Several were used to supplement the combat units during the campaign ( the mentioned squadrons and several others ) . In total , 49 Czaplas were used in units . Like the R - XIII , the Czapla was no match for any Luftwaffe fighter , bomber , or even reconnaissance aircraft , being much slower , and armed with only two machine guns . In spite of this , they were actively used for close reconnaissance and liaison tasks . Most – 35 RWD - 14b were destroyed during the campaign . At least 14 were withdrawn to Romania ( the sources quote numbers from 14 to 17 ) . They were taken over by the Romanian Air Force and used for training and auxiliary duties . Several aircraft were captured in Poland by the Germans or the Soviets , but were not used by them . No RWD - 14b has survived . Technical description . Mixed construction braced parasol high - wing monoplane , conventional in layout . A fuselage of a metal and wooden frame , covered with canvas . Wooden two - spar wings , canvas and plywood covered , fitted with slats . Wings were folding rearwards ( width with folded wings : 3 . 9 m ) . Stabilizers of wooden construction . Conventional fixed landing gear , with a rear wheel . Crew of two , sitting in tandem in open cockpits , with twin controls and individual windshields . The observer had a 7 . 7 mm Vickers K machine gun , the pilot had a fixed 7 . 92 mm wz . 33 machine gun with an interrupter gear . 9 - cylinder air - cooled radial engine PZL G - 1620B Mors - II with 430 hp ( 320 kW ) nominal power and 470 hp ( 350 kW ) take - off power . Two - blade wooden propeller . A fuel tank with a capacity of 315 litres in the fuselage , dropped in emergency . The aircraft could be fitted with radio N2L / T and camera .