The Zuch was a Polish

aerobatics Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aerial" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and glider ...

and

trainer aircraft A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristi ...

, built in

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

in the LWD bureau and produced in a small series.

Design and development

The aircraft was a development of a military and civilian trainer plane LWD Junak-1, meant as a civilian aerobatics and trainer plane for the Polish Aero Club. It was designed in the '' Lotnicze Warsztaty Doświadczalne'' (LWD - Aircraft Experimental Workshops), a main designer was

Tadeusz Sołtyk Tadeusz Sołtyk (born 30 August 1909 in Radom, died 14 July 2004 in Warsaw) was a Polish aircraft designer and aerospace engineer, most famous as the creator of the PZL TS-11 Iskra After graduating from the Mechanical Department of the Warsaw Uni ...

. The design was similar to Junak-1, the main difference was en engine. Unlike Junak, its fixed

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Marti ...

, in massive covers, was lacking struts. It was also fitted with split flaps and had slightly enlarged rudder (similar improvements were later adapted in Junak-2).

Description

Mixed construction (steel and wood) low-wing

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

, conventional in layout. Fuselage of a steel frame, covered with canvas, in front with metal sheet. Two-spar wings of wooden construction and trapezoid shape, canvas and plywood covered, fitted with split flaps. Cockpit with two seats in tandem, under a multi-part closed

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an ...

. Conventional fixed

with a tail wheel, main gear in massive covers. Engine in front: Zuch-1: 6-cylinder inline engine Walter Minor 6-III (118 kW / 160 hp), Zuch-2: 7-cylinder radial engine Bramo Sh 14 (118 kW / 160 hp) with a ring cover with individual cowls for cylinders. Two-blade wooden propeller. The first variant Zuch-1 was powered by the Czechoslovak 160 hp Walter Minor 6-III inline engine in a long, slant nose. The prototype flew first on September 1, 1948. The design was quite successful and fit to aerobatics, but it did not enter production because of decision not to produce Walter Minor engines in Poland. The prototype served in aero clubs from 1950 until end of

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yiji ...

, with markings SP-BAD. The second prototype Zuch-2 was fitted with a radial engine Bramo Sh 14. It was flown on April 1,

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – ...

and carried markings SP-BAG. Because of increased drag, maximum speed was lower - 222 km/h comparing to 244 km/h of Zuch-1. Because there were several Sh 14 engines available, left in the country by retreating Germans, the LWD next built a short series of 5 Zuch-2s in 1950. They carried markings SP-BAL - SP-BAP and served in aero clubs until 1955, except SP-BAM, which served until

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...

Operators

; * Aeroklub Polski

Survivors

;Zuch-1 (SP-BAD) :Preserved in the

Polish Aviation Museum The Polish Aviation Museum ( pl, Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego w Krakowie) is a large museum of historic aircraft and aircraft engines in Kraków, Poland. It is located at the site of the no-longer functional Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Ai ...

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 159 ...

(damaged and disassembled). ;Zuch-2 (SP-BAM) :Preserved in the

(disassembled). ;Zuch-2 (SP-BAO) :Preserved in the

(incomplete and disassembled).

Specifications (Zuch 2)

References

*Kempski, Benedykt, ''Samolot szkolno-treningowy Junak'', Typy Broni i Uzbrojenia #110, Wydawnictwo MON, Warsaw 1986,

External links

Photos at Ugolok Neba site
{{LWD aircraft Zuch 1940s Polish civil trainer aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft