The RWD-14 Czapla (LWS Czapla) was a Polish army cooperation aircraft (observation, close reconnaissance and liaison aircraft), designed in the mid-1930s by the RWD team, and produced in the LWS factory from 1938. A series of 65 aircraft were built and most were used by the Polish Air Force observation squadrons during World War II in 1939. Design and development The aircraft was designed in response to a Polish Air Force requirement of 1933 for a new army cooperation plane, a successor of the Lublin R-XIII. The RWD team of the DWL workshops (Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze) initially proposed the RWD-12 project, based on the RWD-8 trainer. It was however considered as not as good as the R-XIII, and was not built. Another aircraft, the RWD-14 was designed by Stanislaw Rogalski and Jerzy Drzewiecki instead. Designer Tadeusz Chyliński prepared its technical documentation. The first prototype was flown in early 1936 (according to newest research, earlier given date December 1935 is wrong). It won the contest over the Lublin R-XXI project and the PWS factory project, but factory trials showed that its performance was still not satisfactory. In 1937 two modified prototypes were built, designated RWD-14a, but both crashed during trials that year due to steering mechanism faults (the pilots survived). Finally, in early 1938 the fourth improved prototype, designated RWD-14b, was built. After successful trials it was ordered by the Polish Air Force, receiving the name Czapla (Polish: heron), but due to a long development process, it was regarded as only an interim model, to replace the R-XIII until the advent of the more modern LWS-3 Mewa. In return for refunding the development costs, the DWL gave the rights to produce the RWD-14b to the state factory LWS (Lubelska Wytwórnia Samolotów – Lublin Aircraft Works, a successor of the Plage i Laśkiewicz). The LWS built a series of 65 RWD-14b Czapla by February 1939. They were also known under a military designation LWS Czapla. Operational history The Czapla entered service in the Polish Air Force in the spring of 1939, equipping some observation squadrons (eskadra obserwacyjna). Due to its long development, it was not a modern aircraft, only a little better than the Lublin R-XIII. Its advantage was its short take-off (140 m) and landing (120 m), enabling it to operate from fields and meadows. Its modern successor, the LWS-3 Mewa, did not manage to enter operational units due to the