PZL WS Foka information

P.Z.L. WS Foka
Type	family of air-cooled V-engines (8-cylinder/12-cylinder)
National origin	Poland
Manufacturer	Polskie Zakłady Škoda, State Aviation Works
Designer	Stanisław Nowkuński, Jan Oderfeld
First run	1938
Number built	8

P.Z.L. WS Foka (Polish: Seal) was a family of Polish air-cooled V-engines of the late 1930s. The Foka A was an 8-cylinder engine initially designed by Stanisław Nowkuński for the modern P.Z.L. P.38 Wilk fighter-bomber and P.Z.L. P.39 fighter, it was to start a family of high-performance engines for other types of Polish warplanes as well.^[1] The initial series was to achieve roughly 450 hp (340 kW) of power and eventually reach 600 horsepower (450 kW).^[1]

However, following the designer's death in 1936, the development met a number of serious setbacks.^[1] Taken over by a new team of designers, the basic problems with vibrations, overheating and high fuel consumption.^[2] By the time one of the early prototypes was installed in the second prototype of P.Z.L. P.38 Wilk, the engine provided only around 330 horsepower (250 kW).^[1] As P.Z.L. P.38 also had other serious issues, both projects were eventually cancelled after only 8 prototypes had been completed.

The successor to Foka A was Foka B, a V-12 engine intended as the powertrain of P.Z.L. P.48 Lampart, P.Z.L. P.45 Sokół, RWD 25, P.W.S.41 and L.W.S.3 Mewa. However, the outbreak of World War II prevented the first prototype from being completed.