PZL.37 Łoś — Poland’s Majestic Medium Bomber of the 1930s
The PZL.37 Łoś (“Moose”) burst onto the world stage in 1936 as one of Europe’s most advanced twin-engined medium bombers. Conceived by Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze (PZL) and first flown on June 30, 1936, it entered Polish Air Force service in 1938. Sleek and powerful, the Łoś embodied Poland’s ambition to field a modern, high-performance aircraft capable of both precision bombing and long-range reconnaissance.
A Symbol of Modern Polish Aviation
Breaking away from the biplane era, the Łoś featured a carefully faired, semi-monocoque fuselage and cantilever mid-wing design that reduced drag and even contributed to lift. Its duralumin-skinned frame curved smoothly into twin engine nacelles, each housing a potent Bristol Pegasus radial engine built under license by PZL. At cruise it could cover over 2,600 km—enough to reach deep into neighboring territories and return with critical battlefield intelligence.
Streamlined Powerhouse: Design and Performance
Belying its relatively compact dimensions, the Łoś could carry up to 2,580 kg of bombs tucked inside wing and fuselage bays, from 110 kg fragmentation bombs to specialized ordnance. With four crew members—pilot, navigator-bombardier, radio operator, and dorsal gunner—it balanced offensive punch with defensive survivability, mounting three 7.92 mm machine guns in nose, dorsal, and ventral positions. In its definitive PZL.37B form, twin Pegasus XX engines delivered roughly 940 hp each, propelling the bomber to over 400 km/h and up to 7,000 m ceiling—performance on par with many contemporary fighters.
Into the Fray: 1939 Defensive Missions
When war erupted in September 1939, nearly 90 Łoś bombers were combat-ready. Crews flew daring low-level strikes against armored columns, bridges, and supply depots, often at grave risk from enemy fighters and ground fire. Despite heavy losses—driven by a lack of widespread fighter escort and limited armor—the Łoś earned respect for its agility, bomb-delivery accuracy, and the bravery of its aircrews. A handful of aircraft later escaped to Romania, where they saw further action before finally retiring in 1944.
An Enduring Polish Icon
Though none survive intact today, the PZL.37 Łoś remains a touchstone for aviation enthusiasts and historians. Its pioneering all-metal construction and aerodynamic refinements influenced later PZL designs and demonstrated that Poland could build bombers on the cutting edge of 1930s aerospace technology. Scale models, museum exhibits, and memoirs from veteran airmen keep its spirit alive, celebrating a plane that embodied national pride in the face of overwhelming odds.
Wear the Łoś Legacy: Exclusive T-Shirt Collection
Bring the legend of the PZL.37 Łoś into your everyday wardrobe with our exclusive T-shirt line. Each design showcases original, hand-illustrated renderings of this majestic bomber—its graceful silhouette, distinctive twin fins, and sweeping wingspan rendered in bold, weathered ink. Printed on premium ringspun cotton with a softly broken-in feel, these tees let history buffs, aviation fans, and proud Poles carry a symbol of 1930s innovation and courage wherever they roam.
Step into the skies of history—explore our PZL.37 Łoś collection today and wear the moose with pride!
