Glider: SZD-18 Czajka

Poland
school glider

This is a single seater, all wooden glider built in the high wing strutter configuration. The design was carried out by engineer Tadeusz Grudziński who received the first price in the glider design competition issued in 1955 by the Friends of Soldiers League.
Basing on the winning design, at the SZD Works in Bielsko - Biała technical documentation of the glider named the SZD-18 "Czajka" (pewit) was prepared by engineer Władysław Okarmus. The prototype flew for the first time in November 1956 but the in-flight tests continued until spring 1957.
Meanwhile, aeroclubs became independent from the Friends of Soldiers League and the new schooling concept of using two seater school gliders appeared.
Though the "Czajka" showed to be an excellent design in its class, superior to the "ABC" glider, never entered into the serial production. Through a few years it flew with the Warsaw Aeroclub, next reached the museum's collection. Interesting is the fact that the SZD-18 was a second in the Polish gliding aviation construction bearing the same name. Before the Second World War, the "Czajka I" and the "Czajka II" school and training gliders, designed by Antoni Kocjan were known.

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