MIP Smyk
Warsaw Technical University · Poland · first flew 1937 · light aircraft
The MIP Smyk was an aerodynamically refined motor glider designed and built at the Warsaw Technical University from 1935. MIP comes from the initials of its Polish designers, and Smyk means Brat or Kid.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Retractable undercarriage with two independent short legs folding inside the fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Shoulder-mounted one-piece tapered cantilever wing with a deepened ply-covered centre section
- Cockpit canopy closely following the wing profile just ahead of the main spar
- Retractable undercarriage with two independent short legs folding inside the fuselage
A wooden shoulder-wing cantilever monoplane powered by a 12-18 kW Scott Flying Squirrel two-stroke engine cowled in the nose. The fin is an integral part of the fuselage and the tapered horizontal tail is mounted at mid-fuselage.
Specifications
- The MIP Smyk has a length of 5.95 m (20 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.1 m (33 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 155 km/h (96 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Ludwig Moczarski, Jan Idźkowski and Jerzy Ploszajski designed it as a student diploma project, with the aim of a low-power motor glider with the lowest possible drag. Its first flight was on 1 October 1937, piloted by Aleksander Onoskyo, and testing continued through 1938-9.
Variants
A second, two-seat Smyk with a reduced span, a 30-32 hp Saroléa Albatros engine and a fixed undercarriage was planned. Its partly complete airframe was destroyed during the German invasion of Poland in 1939.
Where you'll see it
It handled well and the usual range of aerobatic manoeuvres apart from the roll was available. A high-quality repaint raised the maximum speed by 20 km/h, while the retractable undercarriage added only 11 km/h.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.