The RWD 8 was designed in response to a Polish Air Force requirement in 1931 for a basic trainer aircraft.

Since the DWL (Doświadczalne Warsztaty Lotnicze) workshops – a manufacturer of RWD designs – had limited production capability, the Polish military decided to produce the aircraft in a nationalized factory PWS (Podlaska Wytwórnia Samolotów).

Apart from the standard variant, 50 RWD 8a PWS were built with an additional 95 L (25 U.S. gal) fuel tank in thicker central wing section, giving increased range.

[1] The RWD 8 was conventional in layout, and had mixed construction (steel and wood frame with canvas and plywood covering).

Licences for building the RWD 8 was sold to Estonia (one aircraft was produced, with markings ES-RWD) and Rogozarski of Yugoslavia (a small series with radial engines was built).

In the invasion of Poland 1939, the RWD 8s were used in 13 liaison flights, three aircraft in each, assigned to Armies.

An advantage of the RWD 8 was its capability for short take off and landing on unprepared fields, but the missions of their crews were dangerous.

RWD 8s of the Polesie Operational Group were the last Polish aircraft in the sky during the campaign.

A great number of RWD 8s were bombed by the Germans in air bases (unlike Polish combat aircraft) or burned by withdrawing Poles.