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{{Short description|Polish touring aircraft of 1937}}
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name =RWD-15
 |image =RWD-15 1.png
 |caption =
 |type =Touring aircraft
 |manufacturer =[[Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze|DWL]]
 |designer = [[RWD (aircraft manufacturer)|RWD]] team
 |first_flight = [[1937 in aviation|1937]]
 |introduction =
 |retired =
 |status = 
 |primary_user = Poland
 |more_users = [[Romania]]<br/>[[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate of Palestine]]
 |produced = [[1939 in aviation|1939]]
 |number_built = 5+1 prototype
 |unit cost = 70,000 [[złoty]]<ref name=sp/>
 |developed_from = [[RWD-13]]
 |variants = 
}}

The '''RWD-15''' was a Polish touring aircraft of [[1937 in aviation|1937]], designed by the [[RWD (aircraft manufacturer)|RWD]] team and built by the [[Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze]] (DWL).

==Design and development==
The '''RWD-15''' was an enlarged development of the [[RWD-13]] three-seat touring aircraft, designed by [[Stanisław Rogalski]] of the [[RWD (aircraft manufacturer)|RWD]] team, in the [[Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze|DWL]] workshops in Warsaw. The prototype first flew in spring [[1937 in aviation|1937]] (registration SP-BFX). It inherited RWD-13's advantages, like ease of flying, with good stability. In [[1939 in aviation|1939]], five aircraft were produced by the outbreak of [[World War II]]. A series of 10 RWD-15 was ordered by the Polish Air Force as [[liaison aircraft]] in 1939, but they were not completed before the war. Only one of five ordered [[air ambulance]]s RWD-15S, with two [[stretcher]]s, were built.<ref name=morg>{{cite book |last1=Morgała|first1=Andrzej|date= 2003|title=Samoloty wojskowe w Polsce 1924–1939|trans-title= Military aircraft in Poland 1924–1939|language= pl|location=Warsaw |publisher= Bellona|isbn=83-11-09319-9|pages=314–315}}</ref> There was proposed an aerial photography variant, but it was not built.<ref name=Glass/>

==Description==
Five-seater touring [[strut]]ted high-wing [[monoplane]] of mixed construction. Fuselage frame was metal, covered with [[canvas]], the engine section covered with [[aluminium]] sheets. A two-spar rectangular wing was of wooden construction, covered with canvas and plywood leading edges, supported by V-struts. Wings were rearwards folding, and were equipped with automatic [[Leading edge slats|slats]]. Cantilever wooden [[empennage|tail unit]], covered with plywood (stabilizers) and canvas (rudder and elevators). The cabin was enclosed, with two front seats fitted with dual controls, and behind them a bench with three seats.<ref name=Glass/><ref name=sp>''RWD-15''. "Skrzydlata Polska" June–July 1938, issue 6-7/1938 (164-165), p.204-206 (in Polish)</ref> The cabin had a single door on the left and a pair of doors on the right side, with two luggage compartments at the rear. Engine at the front - 205&nbsp;hp [[de Havilland Gipsy Six]] II, with a two-blade metal tractor propeller (DH Hamilton 1000) of variable pitch, 2.28 m diameter. Conventional fixed [[landing gear]], with a tail-wheel.

==Operational history==
All RWD-15 were initially used in Poland. Two aircraft were formally subordinated to the [[Polish Air Force]] (the 1st Aviation Regiment in Warsaw) - one bought by the Presidential Chancellory and belonging to the Staff Escadrille, and the other in air ambulance variants RWD-15S.<ref name=morg/> One aircraft (registration SP-KAT) was completed as a long-range variant, with fuel tanks in place of rear seats, owned by the [[LOPP]] paramilitary organization.<ref name=Glass/> It was planned to fly it to [[Australia]] in marketing goals, with Maj. Stanisław Karpiński, but the plans were suspended after the German invasion of Czechoslovakia in March 1939.<ref name=Glass/> In some publications it is designated RWD-15bis.<ref name=morg/> Last RWD-15 was made in August 1939, with civil registration SP-ALA.<ref name=morg/>

In 1939, the prototype RWD-15 (registration SP-BFX) was sold to [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]], and used there by the [[Aviron Aviation Company]] (registration: VQ-PAE). From 1945, it was used as a passenger aircraft on routes from [[Lod]] to [[Tel Aviv]] and to [[Egypt]]. In December 1947, it had to be abandoned in [[Lod]] while undergoing repairs, and was burned on 6 April 1948 by Arabs.<ref name="Stefanicki">{{cite web |last1=Stefanicki|first1=Maciej |title=Samoloty RWD w Brazylii, Izraelu i USA |url=http://www.samoloty.ow.pl/str356.htm |accessdate=20 April 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709054823/http://www.samoloty.ow.pl/str356.htm |archivedate=9 July 2007|language=Polish}}</ref>

After the outbreak of [[World War II]], in September 1939 two civilian RWD-14 (SP-ALA, SP-KAT) were evacuated to [[Romania]]. After the fall of Poland, they were sold by the manufacturer for a fraction of value to Romanian government, and used by Romanian civil aviation (registration YR-FAN and YR-TIT respectively).<ref name=morg/> After Romania joined the war on [[Axis Powers|Axis]] side and took part in [[Operation Barbarossa|attack on the USSR]], RWD-15s were used as liaison aircraft on the eastern front by the [[Romanian Air Force]].<ref name=morg/>

One RWD-15 was reportedly sent to the [[1939 New York World's Fair]],<ref name=morg/> along with a [[RWD-13]], and then sold there, but there is no evidence of such aircraft in the US register.<ref name="Stefanicki"/>

==Operators==
;{{flag|British Mandate for Palestine}}
*[[Aviron (airline)|Aviron]]
;{{ISR}}
*[[Sherut Avir]]
;{{POL}}
;{{flag|Romania|1867}}
*[[Royal Romanian Air Force]]

==Specifications ==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1937,<ref name=JAWA1937>{{cite book |title=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1937 |editor1-last=Grey |editor1-first=C.G. |year=1937 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd |location=London |editor2-last=Bridgman|editor2-first=Leonard |page=249c}}</ref> Polish Aircraft 1893–1939,<ref name=Cynk>{{cite book |last=Cynk |first=Jerzy B. |title=Polish Aircraft 1893–1939 |year=1971 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn=978-0-370-00085-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/polishaircraft1800cynk/page/552 552-555] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/polishaircraft1800cynk/page/552 }}</ref> Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939<ref name="Glass">{{cite book|last1=Glass|first1=Andrzej|title=Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939|date=1977|publisher=WKiŁ|location=Warsaw 1977|pages=320–322|language=Polish}}</ref>
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=1
|capacity=4<ref name=Glass/>
|length m=9
|span m=12.4
|height m=2.5
|wing area sqm=20
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=875
|gross weight kg=1360
|max takeoff weight kg=
|fuel capacity={{cvt|240|L|USgal impgal}}
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[de Havilland Gipsy Six II]]
|eng1 type=6-cyl inverted air-cooled in-line piston engine
|eng1 hp=205

|prop blade number=2
|prop name=de Havilland 1000 (Hamilton) constant-speed metal propeller
|prop dia m=2.28
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed kmh=240
|max speed note=at sea level
|cruise speed kmh=210
|cruise speed note=at {{cvt|1000|m}}<br>
:::::{{cvt|220|km/h|mph kn}} at {{cvt|3000|m}}
*'''Landing speed:''' {{cvt|75|km/h|mph kn}}
|stall speed kmh=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|range km=1000
|range note=with two passengers<br>
:::::{{cvt|465|km|mi nmi}} with four passengers
|ferry range km=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=5000
|ceiling note=service ceiling
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=4.8
|time to altitude={{cvt|1000|m}} in 5 minutes
|wing loading kg/m2=68
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass={{cvt|0.0685|hp/lb|kW/kg|order=flip}}
|more performance=* '''Take-off distance to {{cvt|8|m}}:''' {{cvt|200|m}}
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent|
|related=
*[[RWD-6]] - [[RWD-9]] – [[RWD-13]] - [[RWD-20]]
|similar aircraft=<!-- similar or comparable aircraft -->
*[[Stinson Reliant]]
*[[Heston Phoenix]]
|lists=<!-- related lists -->
|see also=<!-- other relevant information -->
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.airwar.ru/enc/law1/rwd15.html Photos and drawing] at [http://www.airwar.ru Ugolok Neba] site (in Russian)

{{RWD aircraft}}

[[Category:1930s Polish civil utility aircraft|RWD-15]]
[[Category:RWD aircraft|RWD-15]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:High-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1937]]