According to aviation author Wiltold Liss, the initial design produced by Puławski, designated as the P.1, possessed multiple of the hallmarks present on contemporary French aviation designs of the era; these similarities can be attributed to Puławski himself, who had received a considerable portion of his technical education in France only a few years prior. Simultaneously, the P.1 also bore a number of original innovations, including its characteristic monoplane wing design. While the majority of the world's forces were still using biplanes, the P.1 used a high-mounted and aerodynamically clean gull wing, which provided the pilot with a superior field of view.