PZL.37 file photo [4080]

PZL.37 Łoś

CountryPoland
ManufacturerPaństwowe Zakłady Lotnicze
Primary RoleMedium Bomber
Maiden Flight13 December 1936

Contributor:

ww2dbaseThe PZL.37 Los ("Moose") bombers were designed by Jerzy Dąbrowski. When the prototype flew in late 1936, it was among the world's more advanced medium bombers with a relatively high bomb load and having the versatility of being able to operate from rough airstrips. The second prototype was accepted, and the first 10 were produced in 1938 as the PZL.37A variant. The next 19 production models, noted as the PZL.37A bis variant, differed from the first 10 in that they had two vertical stabilizers at the tail. The main production variant, the PZL.37B, was the result after the successful twin-tail variant. Production began in autumn of 1938, and by the time the European War began, about 90 were in service with about 30 being assembled.

ww2dbaseFor export purposes, PZL.37C and PZL.37D variants were designed with Gnome-Rhone 14N-0/1 and Gnome-Rhone 14N-20/21 engines, respectively; the engine change was because the license-built Bristol Pegasus engines were only allowed to be used in Poland. 20 were ordered by Yugoslavia, 15 by Bulgaria, 30 by Romania, and 25 by Turkey. The outbreak of the European War, however, meant none of these countries received them. Belgium purchased the right to build them under license, but the European War also prevented them from actually starting production.

ww2dbaseWhen Poland entered the war, PZL.37 bombers of the Bomber Brigade survived the initial onslaught of the German Luftwaffe because they were deployed in rural airstrips instead of the major military airbases. Starting on 4 Sep 1939, they attacked German armored columns in day attacks. Although they did slow the advance of the German 16th Armored Corps, the bombers, with the typical 1930s defensive armament of only 3 machine guns, easily fell victim to German interceptors. The last combat flight took place on 16 Sep, after which 26 or 27 of the surviving PZL.37 bombers were evacuated to Romania. In Oct 1940, the Romanian military confiscated the Polish PZL.37 bombers, and 23 of them were deployed to the Romanian 4th Bomber Group. After a few were lost in crashes due to Romanian pilots' inexperience with them, 15 of them were used to bomb Kiev and Odessa during the Axis invasion of Russia. They were withdrawn to the rear in Oct 1941 due to lack of spare parts, and remained in a training role until they served in combat briefly in Apr 1944. When Romania switched sides to join the Allies on 1 Sep 1944, German aircraft destroyed 5 of the remaining PZL.37 bombers on the ground.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Jun 2007

SPECIFICATIONS

PZL.37B
MachineryTwo Bristol Pegasus XX radial engines rated at 940hp each, license-built by PZL
Armament1x7.92mm nose machine gun, 1x7.92mm rear upper machine gun, 1x7.92mm underbelly machine gun, 2,580kg of bombs
Crew4
Span17.93 m
Length12.92 m
Height5.10 m
Wing Area53.50 m²
Weight, Empty4,935 kg
Weight, Loaded8,880 kg
Weight, Maximum9,105 kg
Speed, Maximum412 km/h
Rate of Climb4.70 m/s
Service Ceiling7,000 m
Range, Normal2,600 km

Photographs

PZL.37/II prototype, date unknownPZL.37A bis bomber at rest, date unknownCockpit of PZL.37 bomber, date unknownPZL.37B bomber and crew, date unknown
See all 6 photographs of PZL.37 Łoś Medium Bomber



Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Search WW2DB
PZL.37 Łoś Medium Bomber Photo Gallery
PZL.37/II prototype, date unknown
See all 6 photographs of PZL.37 Łoś Medium Bomber


Famous WW2 Quote
"I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil."

General Douglas MacArthur at Leyte, 17 Oct 1944


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!