 Logo used from 1930 to 1935 | |
| Formerly | Fabryka Wyrobów Miedziowych |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1860 (1860) |
| Defunct | 1935 (1935) |
| Fate | Nationalized |
| Successor | Lubelska Wytwórnia Samolotów |
| Headquarters | , Poland |
Key people | Jerzy Rudlicki |
Plage i Laśkiewicz (Plage & Laśkiewicz) was the firstPolishaerospace manufacturer, located inLublin and manufacturingaircraft underLublin name. Full name was:Zakłady Mechaniczne E. Plage i T. Laśkiewicz – Mechanical Works E. Plage & T. Laśkiewicz. The factory produced aircraft between 1920 and 1935, when it was nationalized as theLubelska Wytwórnia Samolotów.
The company was founded in 1860 asFabryka Wyrobów Miedziowych, a mechanical workshop specializing in the manufacture of copper products. However, by 1919 it had been renamedPlage i Laśkiewicz and that year it started producing aircraft.[1] On February 17, 1920, the Polish government ordered a licence production of Italian fightersAnsaldo A.1 Balilla and light bombersAnsaldo A.300 in Plage & Laśkiewicz. The first Polish A.300 was flown on June 14, 1921. However, due to the lack of experience, the quality of produced aircraft was low, and there were numerous crashes. As a result, the order was limited to 70 A.300 and 50 A.1 only, produced by 1924.
Despite its unsuccessful beginning the factory gained experience, and there were no major problems with future aircraft series. In 1924, the Polish government ordered a licence production of French light bombersPotez XV, and in 1925–1926, there were built 100 of them in Plage & Laśkiewicz. In 1928–1931 the works produced 150 of more modernPotez 25. In 1929–1930 the works produced 11 passenger planesFokker F-VIIb/3m onFokker licence, and 20 of own Fokker F-VIIb/3m bomber modification.
In the mid-1920s the factory management was changed, andJerzy Rudlicki became lead designer. Then, apart from licence production, the plant started to produce its own aircraft, under the name Lublin, designated "R" for Rudlicki.
The first own design was a biplane bomberLublin R-VIII, flown in1928. Six were produced by 1930, three of them were later converted toseaplanes and used in the Polish naval aviation until 1939. Prototype light passenger planes: biplane R-IX, and high-wingR-XI were not ordered by thePolish Airlines. Also sport high-wing plane Lublin R-XII was not produced in series.
Another design was aparasol wingliaison aircraftLublin R-X, flown in1929. It won a contest for aPolish Air Force liaison plane, but only 7 were produced. Instead, Rudlicki developed it further and designedtrainer aircraft R-XIV and an army liaison planeLublin R-XIII, which became Poland's main army liaison aircraft (and the only mass-produced Lublin). 15 of R-XIV were built in 1930–31, and 223 of R-XIII were built in 1932–1935 (further 50 after nationalization). Its experimental variant R-XIX introduced theV-tail, invented by Rudlicki.
The light passenger planeLublin R-XVI of 1932 was not ordered by the airlines, but six were produced asair ambulance R-XVIb. The last construction was a two-engine torpedo seaplaneLublin R-XX, flown in 1935, but it was not produced either. Apart from these, some other designs did not reach prototype stage.
In 1924–1933 the works also produced car bodies, mainly for Somua (imported) andUrsus buses, but also for luxury imported cars and theRalf-Stetysz cars.
Due to plans of Polish aviation authorities (mainlyLudomił Rayski) to gather all aviation industry in state-owned factories, Plage & Laśkiewicz works were forced tobankruptcy. After delivering seven of the ordered 50R-XIIIF aircraft in late1935, the Polish Ministry of War broke the contract under a pretext. As a result, the factory went bankrupt and then wasnationalized under the nameLWS (Lubelska Wytwórnia Samolotów – Lublin Aircraft Works). Then, 18 almost ready R-XIIIF, bought by scrap price, were completed, and the next series of 32 was built.
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plage i Laśkiewicz A.1 | 1921[2] | 57 | License built single engine biplane fighter |
| Plage i Laśkiewicz A.300 | 1921 | 79[3] | License built single engine biplane reconnaissance airplane |
| Plage i Laśkiewicz XV | 100 | License built single engine biplane light bomber | |
| Plage i Laśkiewicz XXV | 150 | License built single engine biplane light bomber | |
| Plage i Laśkiewicz F.VII/m3 | 11 | License built three engine monoplane airliner | |
| Plage i Laśkiewicz F.VII/m3W | 20 | License built three engine monoplane bomber[4] | |
| Lublin R-VII | N/A | 0 | |
| Lublin R-VIII | 1928 | 6 | Single engine biplane light bomber |
| Lublin R-IX | 1929 | 1 | Single engine biplane airliner |
| Lublin R-X | 1929 | 7 | Single engine monoplane liaison airplane |
| Lublin R-XI | 1930 | 1 | Single engine monoplane airliner |
| Lublin R-XII | 1930 | 1 | Single engine monoplane sport airplane |
| Lublin R-XIII | 1931 | 273 | Single engine monoplane liaison airplane |
| Lublin R-XIV | 1930[5] | 15 | Single engine monoplane trainer |
| Lublin R-XV | N/A | 0 | Single engine monoplane observation airplane |
| Lublin R-XVI | 1932 | 7 | Single engine monoplane ambulance airplane |
| Lublin R-XVII | N/A | 0 | Single engine biplane experimental airplane[6] |
| Lublin R-XVIII | N/A | 0 | Three engine biplane heavy bomber |
| Lublin R-XIX | 1 | Single engine monoplane experimental airplane[7] | |
| Lublin R-XX | 1935 | 1 | Two engine monoplane torpedo bomber seaplane |
| Lublin R-XXI | N/A | 0 | Single engine monoplane liaison airplane[8] |
| Lublin R-XXII | N/A | 0 | Single engine biplane torpedo bomber seaplane[9] |
