Aeroplane: WSK TS-8 Bies

Poland
basic trainer
1958

Through the post war years, the conception of building a transition trainer existed in Polish aviation.
The required aircraft was built in response to the military authorities call, at the Aviation Institute by the team led by Tadeusz Sołytk. His technical designs shelved in the forties were taken out in 1953. The construction work along with static tests were completed in 1955. On 23rd June of the same year, the prototype flew for the first time. It was a two seat school and training aircraft of an all metal construction with a low wing. The first batch of 10 aircraft, armed with a single machine gun and two bomb racks was produced in 1957. In 1958, mass production of the improved and unarmed, version (TS-8 BII Bies (Bogey)), equipped only with a gun camera, started.
The prototypes (except for the factory tests) were also displayed in different exhibitions and fairs for propaganda and commercial offer purposes. The TS-8 Bies was the first post-war serially built, all metal Polish aircraft, powered with the newly designed Polish WN 3A seven cylinder radial engine. 229 of the TS-8 Bies were produced from 1957 until 1960. A few of them went to Indonesia. The Polish Air Force utilised TS-8's until 1975. They also remained in service with aeroclubs from 1966 until 1978.
Several international aviation records were established and the aircraft had a very good reputation among pilots.
There are two TS-8's at the museum. The first one (in storage), being the prototype, flew for the first time on 23rd July 1955 and the second (on display), serially built, produced in 1958 and remained in service until 1967. It was given to the museum as the Polish Air Force Headquarters gift.

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