Very soon, visitors to the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków will be able to admire up close a faithful replica of the RWD-8 aircraft — one of the most recognisable and distinguished designs in the history of Polish civil and military aviation. Work on the replica of this exceptional aircraft has been completed, and it will soon take its place among other exhibits in Hangar No. 5 — a space where the new permanent exhibition “With the Wind and Against the Wind — Civil Aviation” is being prepared. The grand opening of the exhibition will take place on 24 August 2025, during the celebrations of Polish Aviation Day.
In the final stage of work, a wooden propeller with metal fittings was installed, handcrafted by the conservation team of the Polish Aviation Museum. The replica received historic aeroclub paintwork characteristic of machines from the Experimental Aviation Workshops (DWL) and an original registration corresponding to an example that flew before the war in the colours of the Kraków Aeroclub. The cockpit interior was also reconstructed, with the instrument panel layout reproduced in accordance with the original manufacturer’s specification.
The RWD-8 is one of the icons of pre-war Polish aviation — a light, two-seat, mixed-construction parasol-wing monoplane created by the RWD design team: Stanisław Rogalski, Stanisław Wigura and Jerzy Drzewiecki. It was designed in response to a competition announced in 1931 by the Air and Anti-Gas Defence League (LOPP) for a new training aircraft. From as early as 1934, it served as the primary training aircraft in Polish military aviation.
It was characterised by excellent handling qualities, good controllability and simple operation — it was stable, durable and safe. Thanks to this, it was ideally suited for both initial training and training flights, glider towing and parachute jump training. From 1934, the aircraft beat the competition in the form of the PZL-5bis and Bartel BM-4h biplanes and became the most widely used training type in the country.
A total of approximately 600 examples were produced — both at the DWL and the Podlasie Aircraft Factory (PWS). The aircraft were delivered not only to military units and aviation schools in Dęblin, Krosno and Bydgoszcz, but also to aeroclubs throughout Poland. Some of them were financed from public funds as part of collections under the Żwirko and Wigura Fund, making them a symbol of national pride and social engagement in the development of aviation.
During the September Campaign, RWD-8s were assigned to liaison platoons and improvised auxiliary units. Their ability to take off and land in difficult terrain, suitability for reconnaissance missions and ease of operation meant they played an important role as liaison and reconnaissance aircraft.
After the outbreak of war, some aircraft were evacuated — 57 went to Romania, 40 to Latvia, and individual examples to Hungary and Finland. The RWD-8 was also exported — to Brazil, Palestine, Morocco and Yugoslavia, among others, where a small licensed production run was undertaken.
Despite the large number of examples produced, no original RWD-8 aircraft has survived to our times. This makes the reconstruction project carried out by the Polish Aviation Museum all the more significant, as it restores this icon of Polish aviation to collective memory and allows future generations to experience up close the heritage of our skies.
The creation of this replica is not only the fulfilment of a dream for aviation enthusiasts, but also a tribute to the designers and pilots who have permanently inscribed themselves in the history of Polish aviation and built its prestige — emphasises Tomasz Kosecki, Director of the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków.
The new exhibit will soon become an integral part of one of the most important exhibitions in Europe dedicated to civil aviation — the exhibition With the Wind and Against the Wind — Civil Aviation.
We invite all those interested to the grand opening on 24 August 2025 — celebrate the return of the RWD-8 with us!
We invite you to view the photo gallery of the RWD-8 replica’s creation:
