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The PZL Ł.2 was the Polish Army cooperation and liaison aircraft, built in 1929 in the Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze (PZL) in Warsaw. Only a small series of 31 aircraft, including prototype, were made, and used by the Polish Air Force in the 1930s. The aircraft was known in Poland for accomplishing of a long-distance tour around Africa in 1931. ==Development== In 1927, the Polish War Ministry opened a contest for a military liaison and observation plane. It was meant to operate from casual airfields, used by Army land units. Jerzy Dąbrowski and Franciszek Kott from the PZL works proposed a plane, designated initially PZL.2.〔Glass, A. (1977), pp.218-219〕 It was one of the first PZL designs, what was indicated by its low number. The first prototype was flown in early 1930 by Bolesław Orliński (later it received civilian registration SP-ADN).〔Morgała, A. (2003). pp.187-188〕〔Cynk, J. (1977). pp.128-135〕 In 1930 the plane was tested and evaluated by the Polish Air Force. Thanks to wing mechanization (flats and slats), it had short take-off and landing.〔 It was very advanced combination of high-lift devices in world's aviation those days.〔 A competing designs Lublin R-X and PWS-5t2, evaluated yet in 1929, were not satisfactory, so the Polish Air Force ordered 60 PZL.2.〔 The plane took part in the second contest for an army cooperation plane in July 1931. In spite of advanced high-lift devices and all-duralumin construction of the PZL.2, the air force decided to choose a simpler, cheaper and quite satisfactory Lublin R-XIII plane.〔 An initial order for 60 PZL.2 was finally lowered to 30, which were built between April 1930 and August 1931.〔 The designation changed then to PZL Ł.2 (Ł for "łącznikowy", liaison) or Ł.2a (following an early manner of PZL works to mark the aircraft purpose in designation, after a pursuit PZL P.1). Including the prototype, they carried factory numbers 55.1 - 55.31.〔Morgała, A. (2003). p.465〕 One of the Ł.2, number 55.10 was converted to a long-distance sports plane (civilian registration SP-AFA).〔 It had fuel tanks 600 l and a range of over 2000 km. It was also fitted with a Townend ring.〔 Due to a decrease of orders, there remained parts for several aircraft. In 1930 the PZL proposed to the Polish Navy a liaison and patrol floatplane variant of Ł.2, designated PZL.9, but it was not built. Then, the PZL proposed another patrol and fighter floatplane, basing on Ł.2 parts, PZL.15. It was a low-wing braced monoplane with thin tail boom, and utilized wings, tail and engine of Ł.2. It was not built either.〔 Parts of Ł.2 (wings, tail, engine) were utilized in a passenger plane prototype PZL.16.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「PZL Ł.2」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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