SZD-18 Czajka
Szybowcowy Zaklad Doswiadczalny · Poland · first flew 1956 · glider
The SZD-18 Czajka was a single-seat glider designed and built in Poland in 1956. Czajka means lapwing in English.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Simple box fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Strutted high wing
- Simple box fuselage
- Single-seat primary training glider
It has a simple structure with a box fuselage and a strutted high wing. The aircraft is a low-performance primary training glider.
Specifications
- The SZD-18 Czajka has a length of 6.3 m (21 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.8 m (35 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 133 km/h (83 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was the last attempt by the LPZ paramilitary organisation to produce a single-seat training glider, after the SZD-15 and SZD-16. It was built from the winning X-11 design by Tadeusz Grudzienski, and flight trials began on 30 November 1956.
Variants
Only one SZD-18 was built, the sole prototype.
Where you'll see it
It had good handling and was regarded as one of the best gliders in its class. No production followed because aero clubs moved towards two-seat training, and the prototype flew with the Warsaw aero club until 1966.
Related aircraft
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