In the early 1930s the French Breguet XIX and Potez XXV types constituted the principal equipment of the Polish 'Eskadry Lin-iowe', the name meaning roughly 'Battle Flights'. These were light bomber and reconnaissance units intended for operations in direct support of ground forces.
Work on a new aeroplane commenced in late 1931 under Stanislaw. Prauss. the project being designated PZL.23. At the beginning of the following year a mock-up of the fuselage was constructed. According to the designer's concept, this housed two crew members: the pilot and the gunner. Space between them was occupied by the bomb bay with vertically attached bombs. The wing, designed by Franciszek Misztal, had a modern box-spar which reduced the wing weight by 20% compared to conventional designs...