SZD-8 JASKÓŁKA BIS

SZD-8 Jaskółka was a Polish, single-seat, performance-sport glider with a fully wooden structure in a medium wing configuration, with a half-shell fuselage. The glider was developed at Szybowcowe Zakłady Doświadczalnych (SZD) based in Bielsko-Biała. The prototype flight took place in September 1951. The curb weight of the glider was 270 kilograms. Work on the SZD-8 began in 1950, and the pace of research and development on the new glider was relatively high. However, the first prototype turned out to be far from perfect and required a lot of corrections: first of all, the elimination of the tendency to fall into a flat corkscrew. However, in the second prototype (later designated SZD-8 bis) it was eliminated, and the glider turned out to be, after some adjustments, a highly successful design that was exported to many countries. In total, 135 copies of this aircraft were built. In the course of serial production, many development versions of the glider were created, among which are worth mentioning, for example: SZD-8 bis-E (version with better rudder drive, changed chassis and improved aerodynamics of the rudder), SZD-8 bis Z (version with modernized front part of the hull and improved ballast system) or SZD-8 bis O (version intended primarily for foreign markets). A total of 17 world records for gliding were set on SZD-8 gliders.