Warbird Information Exchange

An absolutely stunning aeroplane, and one of my all-time favourites. Sadly, there's only the one survivor, at the Krakow museum, and that courtesy of the Germans who took a captured example back to Berlin in 1939. Not a flyer (quite rightly, as a unique and priceless survivor from the start of WWII on 1 September 1939), they do run the engine on occasion.

With a Bristol Mercury engine, perfectly do-able as a replica, however, as James says, people prefer to put their hard-earned into replica Spitfires, 109s and Mustangs these days.

Here's the Krakow example, which I photographed at the Radom airshow in Poland in 2003.

True, I'm an American, but of 50% Polish descent. That doesn't make the plane (or 50% of me) any more attractive though.

Your Polish half might profit for learning of the exploits of those gutsy men who fought overwhelming odds in a way that no US, British, Canadian or Australian airman had to - thankfully. Pretty is as pretty does to me, and as I indicated earlier, the P-11c's place in history is an important one. Historically (rather than technically) greater than the F3F, which was, IIRC never even in combat; certainly it was not the only type between the invasion of the USA and the Luftwaffe hordes, as the P-11 was for Poland.

We are all in a dubious corner by finding any fighter aircraft aesthetically pleasing - they're a weapon designed to kill.

To a Pole, the P-11 is of inestimable historical importance - way beyond any Yanks or Aussie's view of 'nice to look at'. 'Fat Man' was an ugly bomb, but its the role it played in history that matters...

If it were to go into production it would be because of it's role in history, not because it's nice to look at. I think it's give a P-26, F3F and many others a run for their money in a mock dogfight - pity we won't see that.

Educating people as to Poland's role in W.W.II seems to me a more valid reason to build a batch or replicas than it's a nice looker.

Oh, it flies nice, I'm told, but we don't really know anymore...

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Aside from likes & dislikes replicating the aircraft should not pose a significant problem if you don't have cash issues.

You could consider, since you want to make more than 1, into creating an ultra light kit version to sell on. Look on the net for many companies manufacturing affordable (starting at $20-25k) self assembly 1:1 kits of WWI warbirds.

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Vintage Warbird & German WWII galleries @ http://zeeat.spaces.live.com/

Historical Aircraft Corp hac@montrose.net built the one replica flying out there.

I don't think these were ever built, only proposed.

I did see the P.11c @ OSH

Kitplanes 1991
PZL P.11c (replica): HAC Polish Fighter Replica, Feb., p. 58.

Can't seem to find any photos on the net- anyone?