In early 1933, engineer August Bobek-Zdaniewski, working at the Podlaska Aircraft Factory (PWS), developed an advanced version of the PWS 14 aircraft. The prototype of the new airframe, designated PWS 16, became the model for serial production after completing trials. In 1934, one of the factory-built examples was thoroughly rebuilt and adapted for gunnery and bombing training. These changes affected the external appearance, and the new aircraft received the designation PWS 16bis.
At the end of 1934, engineer Zdaniewski began work on improving the PWS 16bis. The result of these efforts was the PWS 26. The prototype of the new aircraft — a two-seat, single-engine biplane of mixed construction — was first flown in the spring of 1935, after which serial production began. The Air Force ordered 400 units, but only slightly fewer than 300 examples were delivered before the outbreak of war.
The PWS 26 was agile, responsive, stable, safe, and easy to fly, making it one of the best European training aircraft of that period. When fitted with armament, it could be used for advanced combat training.
In September 1939, PWS 26 aircraft flew liaison and observation missions. After the September Campaign, numerous PWS 26s ended up in the USSR and Romania, where some were operated until the end of the war. After the Germans captured the Air Training Centre in Deblin, 30 aircraft were seized and subsequently overhauled. Two examples were sent for testing in Germany, while the rest were sold to Romania.
The aircraft exhibited at the Krakow Museum is one of two used by the German Luftwaffe. It bears factory number 81-123 and was built in 1937. In 1945, it was found along with other wrecks near Poznan. After overhaul at the Regional Aviation Workshops and registration, it flew from November 1949 to December 1953. In 1954, the aircraft was transferred to the Museum of Technology in Wroclaw, where in 1959 it was displayed at the Aviation Exhibition. In December 1963, it was transferred to the Aviation Museum in Krakow. After restoration, it is presented in its 1939 colour scheme.
| Wingspan | 9.0 m |
| Length | 7.0 m |
| Takeoff weight | 1170 kg |
| Maximum speed | 200 km/h |
| Ceiling | 4200 m |
| Range | 460 km |
| Armament | Optional armament: 7.92 mm machine gun on the right side of the fuselage, 25 kg of bombs under the lower wings |
| Engine | 9-cylinder radial, Avia (lic. Wright) Whirlwind J-5, 220 hp (160 kW), (the engine was started after overhaul at the Museum) |
