PZL P.24

The PZL P.24 was a Polish fighter aircraft, designed during the mid-1930s in the PZL factory in Warsaw. It was developed as a dedicated export version of the PZL P.11, a gull wing all-metal fighter designed by Polish aeronautical engineer Zygmunt Puławski.

While the P.11 had been powered with a license-built Bristol Mercury radial engine, the terms of this license did not permit PZL to export the engine as well as placing restrictions upon any aircraft that were powered by it. The French engine manufacturer Gnome-Rhône proposed the adoption of their 14K engine to PZL and offered to partially finance the development of a fighter using the engine, which would have no such export restrictions. Accordingly, during early 1932, PZL commenced work on a new derivative of the P.11, which became known as the P.24. The prototypes soon demonstrated favourable performance during testing; notably, the second P.24/II prototype, often referred to as the "Super P.24", established a new world speed record for a radial engine-powered fighter of 414 km/h. The initial production aircraft closely resembled the P.24/II configuration, albeit with some changes such as the adoption of an enclosed cockpit.

First entering operational service during 1936, the P.24 was exported to multiple countries, including Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Turkey. It was produced under licence by Romanian aviation firm Industria Aeronautică Română (IAR), who had also licence-produced the earlier P.11 as well. Reportedly, elements of the P.24, such as its tail section, were incorporated into a Romanian-designed monoplane fighter, the IAR 80. In Greece, the Royal Hellenic Air Force (EVA) was the only air service in Second World War to operate the P.24 as its primary fighter. However, wartime experience soon showed that, as a result of the rapid advances in aircraft design made during the late 1930s, the P.24 had become obsolete in comparison to newer fighters as early as 1940. Despite a relatively powerful engine and satisfactory armament, it could not stand up against some of the Axis fighters, such as the Macchi MC.200 and the Fiat G.50. Just like the Greek fighters, by 1942, it had become clear that Romania's P.24s were unable to effectively challenge the fighters of the VVS, and were relegated to training operations.