SZD-35 Bekas

PZL · Poland · first flew 1970 · glider

The SZD-35 Bekas was a Polish single-seat training sailplane designed by the SZD (Szybowcowy Zakład Doświadczalny) works and first flown in 1970, intended to provide an intermediate step between basic primary gliders and high-performance competition sailplanes. 'Bekas' is Polish for snipe (the bird).

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × none, embedded-mounted
F — Fuselage	8.5 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Unpowered sailplane — no engine
Polish single-seat training glider with straight high wing
SZD design intended for primary glider training in the 1970s

A clean single-seat sailplane with a straight high-set wing, T-tail, and sleek fibreglass or wooden fuselage — typical of Eastern European training gliders of the early 1970s.

Specifications

The SZD-35 Bekas has a length of 8.5 m (28 ft).
It has a wingspan of 15.9 m (52 ft).
Its maximum speed is 220 km/h (137 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

SZD was Poland's primary glider manufacturer throughout the communist era, producing a long series of designs that equipped glider clubs across the Eastern Bloc and beyond. The SZD-35 was part of this training lineage, though it remained a prototype or very limited production type.

Variants

The SZD series encompassed dozens of designs; the Bekas occupied the intermediate training niche alongside other SZD training types of the period.

Where you'll see it

Used for glider training in Poland; not widely exported compared to more successful SZD types such as the Bocian or Jantar.

Related aircraft

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