The most complete book about the Polish fighter PZL P.11 C for
modelers .
If you were to ask about the symbolic aircraft of the desperate defense
of Polish sky during the tragic month of September '39, without any
doubt the answer should be one - the PZL P.11c. Although older machines
(PZL P.7a and P.11a) fought next to it, the mentioned variant was a true
backbone of the defense force. Pilots liked P.11c but in all
publications it is described as "obsolete." It was the penultimate stage
in the evolution of a long line of fighter planes, no longer having the
disadvantages of the "infant period," but also actually constituting a
closed alley in the evolution of this type of design. The PZL P.11g
modification showed that the already mature construction can only be
improved to a small extent.
Being an export alternative, faster, equipped with a much more powerful
engine and better armed PZL P.24 were actually the end of the
possibilities of high wing strut aircraft. This was understood in
Poland, where design offices were no longer involved in the further
development of such structures (P.11g was just an emergency attempt to
obtain not the most modern, but an efficient fighter). Unfortunately, it
was not possible to produce or buy a successor abroad on time. That is
why Poland entered the conflict equipped with fighter planes, once
belonging to the world leaders, but giving way to the latest enemy
machines.
