Loening PW-2

PW-2
Role	Monoplane fighter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Loening Aeronautical Engineering
Designer	Grover Loening
First flight	1920
Primary user	United States Army Air Corps
Number built	7
Developed from	Loening M-8

The Loening PW-2 was a 1920s American single-seat monoplane fighter designed by Grover Loening and built by his Loening Aeronautical Engineering Company.

Development

Based on the earlier two-seat braced-wing monoplane fighter, the M-8, the PW-2 was a single-seat variant for the United States Army Air Corps. It had a fixed tailskid landing gear and was powered by a nose-mounted Wright-Hispano H engine with a tractor propeller. The pilot had an open cockpit. The company built three prototypes designated the PW-2 and a production order for 10 aircraft designated the PW-2A followed. The PW-2As were similar to the PW-2 but had a revised tail unit. After four aircraft had been delivered, one aircraft crashed when the wings separated from the aircraft; the contract was canceled. One of the PW-2As was modified with shorter-span wings and a 350 hp (260 kW) Packard 1A-1237 engine as the PW-2B.

Variants

PW-2: Prototype, three built one of which had twin rudders and was not flown and used for static testing.
PW-2A: Production variant with revised tail unit, four built and six cancelled.
PW-2B: PW-2A variant with shorter span wings and a 350hp (261kW) Packard 1A-1237

Operators

United States: United States Army Air Corps

Specifications (PW-2A)

Data from Fighters of the United States Air Force ^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 26 ft 1 in (7.95 m)
Wingspan: 39 ft 9 in (12.12 m)
Wing area: 299 sq ft (27.8 m²) ^[2]
Gross weight: 2,799 lb (1,270 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Wright-Hispano H engine , 320 hp (239 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 136 mph (219 km/h, 118 kn)

Armament

2 × .30 in (7.62 mm) Lewis machine guns

References

Notes

^ Dorr and Donald 1990, p.25.
^ Swanborough and Bowers 1962, p.519.

Bibliography

Andrade, John (1979). U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
Dorr, Robert F.; Donald, David (1990). Fighters of the United States Air Force. London: Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 0-600-55094-X.
Swanborough, F.G.; Bowers, Peter M. (1963). United States Military Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam.
Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. p. 2376.

[US_Fighters_p25-1] Dorr and Donald 1990, p.25.

[Swan_USp519-2] Swanborough and Bowers 1962, p.519.

[1]

[2]