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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0016.PDF
For the five-year plan of Poland's clubs and schools: the M-4, with 180 h.p. Narkiewicz flat-six engine PROGRESS IN POLAND... club duties, and will enter service with Polish clubs and civil flying organizations during the present five-year plan. It is also very likely that the aircraft will be adopted as standard equipment by the Soviet countries for the period 1966-70, replacing the Gawron. Powered by a national 180 h.p. WN-6 flat-six engine, or by its geared variant, the 220 h.p. WN-6R, the Wilga is an all-metal cantilever high-wing monoplane carrying up to four persons. The wing has full-span fixed leading-edge slots, and slotted flaps and ailerons on the trailing edge. The fuselage is an all-metal semi- monocoque built in two portions. The cabin floor and doors are of sandwich structure, consisting of two thin metal sheets filled with paper honeycomb. Unrestricted access is provided by the large The SZD-25 Lis, a high-performance sailplane designed for quantity production at low cost doors and the aircraft carries full instrumentation and radio. The span is 11.16m (36ft 7in), length 8.0m (26ft 3in), wing area 15.5m2 (166.84 sq ft), empty weight 700kg (1,5431b), and gross weight 1,150kg (2.5351b). Estimated performance includes: max speed 220km/hr (136.7 m.p.h.), landing speed 65km/hr (40 m.p.h.), ceiling 5,000m (16,400ft), range 1,000km (620 miles) and endurance 6hr. WSK Mielec The largest and best equipped aircraft manufactur ing plant in Poland, which was most affected by the termination of LiM fighter production programme, is now engaged upon the licence manufacture of the Russian An-2 biplane, which is built in several versions for the Soviet countries; and production of the TS-8 Bies trainer, transferred from Warsaw-Okecie to Mielec in 1957, is still continuing. With cuts in military orders, WSK Mielec commenced develop ment of original designs, and the first to appear was the S-4 Kania 2 glider-tug, which flew in September 1957. Being of all-wood construction, however, it was not suitable for manufacture at the Mielec plant, and depite its excellent qualities it did not enter production. The Mielec design office subsequently evolved studies for four all-metal aircraft: the M.l single-seat aerobatic machine, which was never built; the M.2 two-seat tourer/trainer; the M.3 Pliszka single-seat sailplane, which did not progress beyond the prototype stage; and the M.4 two-seat trainer, which was evolved on the basis of the M.2 and is intended to go into quantity produc tion during the present 1961-65 programme. The M.4 is intended mainly for the Polish Air Force as a basic trainer for the whole syllabus of piston-engined training, including 16 FLIGHT International, 4 January 1962 normal, inverted and formation aerobatics, and pupils will graduate from it to advanced operational training on the Iskra. The single- seat M.4 A variant for advanced and competition aerobatics will also be produced in limited numbers. The M.4 prototype, com pleted towards the end of 1960, was awaiting installation of the new 180 h.p. WN-6 flat-six engine for some nine months, and flew for the first time on September 7, 1961. The M.4 is an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane with retractable nosewheel landing gear. The wing is provided with electrically-operated slotted flaps inboard of the ailerons. Accom modation comprises two tandem seats under a continuous sliding canopy, and equipment includes two standard blind-flying panels, radio, intercom and an oxygen installation. Span 8.8m (28ft llin), length 7.171m (23ft 6in), wing area 11.79m2 (126.9 sq ft); empty weight 758kg (1,6711b), gross weight 1,050kg (2,3151b). Perform ance (estimated) includes a max speed of 307km/hr (191 m.p.h.) at sea level, service ceiling of 6,900m (22,640ft) and range of 750km (466 miles). WSK Swidnik This factory has been engaged since 1956 on the manufacture of the SM-1 general-purpose helicopter, which is the Polish version of the Russian Mi-1. The machine is exported in large quantities to many countries all over the world, including the Soviet Union, which acquires a considerable number from Swidnik. During 1960 the improved SM-1 /600 series (or SM-1W, as it is known com mercially), having better all-round performance permitting opera tions in difficult climatic conditions and carrying external fuel tanks extending the range to 580km (360 miles), reached several Polish Air Force and Army units and some foreign operators. This heli copter, together with many specialized versions such as the SM-1S ambulance, SM-1Z agricultural variant and SM-lSz dual control trainer, has been perfected by the small design office established at the Swidnik plant in 1957. In 1958-59 the Swidnik office evolved an original development of the SM-1, designated SM-2. The new helicopter, which began tests early in 1960 and made its first public appearance the following September at the Lodz air display, is now in quantity production. In addition to important structural modifications, resulting in 20 per cent increase in payload, the SM-2 has a new, roomier forward fuselage seating four passengers in addition to a pilot. In the ambulance variant, stretchers loaded through a convenient flap in the nose can be carried internally. Several specialized variants for civil and military duties are under development. Weights, empty and loaded, of the passenger variant are 1,890kg (4,1661b) and 2,493kg (5,4981b) respectively. The first completely original Swidnik design is the S-4 helicopter, which is now under development. It is believed that this is a light multi-seat machine, powered by the new 200 h.p. WR-6S flat-six helicopter engine, mounted in the nose of the aircraft. SZD (experimental glider establishment), Bielsko-Biala The spectacular debut of the revolutionary SZD-19-2 Zefir and SZD-24 Foka super-high-performance sailplanes at the 1960 World Gliding Championships, and the phenomenal show they put up during the contest days, were unmistakable pointers that the Polish glider industry had reached a new phase of skill in sailplane design. Few people, however, suspected that the appearance of these elegant machines would be swiftly followed by changes in glider production programmes and training syllabus of a magnitude unparalleled in the past. Gone from the 1961-65 production list are the famous names of Jaskolka, Bocian and Mucha, which have won Poland many world records and scores of "diamonds"; the new generation of the SZD sailplanes, comprising the Kormoran, Kobuz, Li?, Foka and Zefir, will take the place of the old. The first two mach ines arc Still in the early stages of development and are expected to enter production late this year, while the remaining three are already being built in quantity. The SZD-27 Kormoran is from the functional and structural view points a revelation among Polish sailplane designs. A two-seat universal-training high-performance sailplane of extremely robust all-metal construction, it will form the backbone of equipment in schools and clubs. The entire training programme from initial to advanced stages, including aerobatics, will be carried out on Kormorans, flown either as two- or single-seaters. The Kormoran, the prototype of which is almost ready, will be comparatively cheap to produce and very easy to maintain. After completion of the full training sequence on the Kormoran
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