SZD-56 Diana
PZL-Bielsko · Poland · first flew 1990 · glider
The SZD-56 Diana is a single-seat 15 metre class glider originally designed by Bogumil Beres at PZL-Bielsko.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.88 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Mid-wing cantilever monoplane glider with a T-tail
- All-composite carbon-aramid-epoxy structure with a spar-less wing
- Unusual side-stick control in a very narrow cockpit, and retractable main undercarriage
A slim composite sailplane with a mid wing, a T-tail and full-span flaperons.
Specifications
- The SZD-56 Diana has a length of 6.88 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15 m (49 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 270 km/h (168 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
PZL-Bielsko went bankrupt before it could put the design into production, and the rights passed to Diana Sailplanes, which developed it into the Diana 2. The Diana first flew on 29 November 1990 and the Diana 2 on 12 January 2005.
Variants
The Diana 2 was a further development, and in 2018 the Diana 3 for the 18 metre class used a KKB fuselage with a Diana wing. In 2016 the rights passed to AVIONIC, which offered a New Generation version.
Where you'll see it
Janusz Centka won the silver medal at the 2005 European Gliding Championships in Rayskala, Finland.
Related aircraft
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