PZL Bielsko SZD-59
Encyclopedia
The SZD-59 Acro is a single-seat glass composite
glider
for aerobatics
and cross-country flying by PZL Allstar
of Bielsko-Biala
, Poland
.
The SZD-59 can be flown with a 13.2m span or a 15.0m span. Attaching or detaching the wing-tips takes only a few minutes. With 15m wing-tips it is a competitive Club Class
glider, while it is a competitive aerobatic glider in the 13.2m configuration.
in 1990-91 mainly by Jan Knapik. The fuselage
is only a slightly modified version of the one used in the Jantar Standard 3. However, the T-tail has been replaced by a cross-tail with larger rudder
and the elevator
of the SZD-42-2 Jantar 2.
The design life is 15,000 hours, though at present it is approved for only 4,000 hours of operation. In 15m configuration, the SZD-59 is approved in the utility category of JAR 22
(sailplanes) of the Joint Aviation Authorities
, and in the 13.2m configuration it is approved according to the aerobatics category of JAR 22.
World Glider Aerobatic Championships in Zielona Góra
. Twelve Acros were built by PZL-Bielsko until the production stopped in 1996 due to economic problems.
Allstar PZL Glider Sp. z o.o.
in Bielsko-Biala
(Poland) restarted production of the SZD-59 Acros in 2004. Currently, it is the only unlimited glider in serial production.
glider. With 15m wing-tips with or without winglets glide performance can be enhanced by increasing its wing loading
with up to 150 litres of water ballast, but water ballast is not allowed in the 13.2m configuration.
s (looping, turn, chandelle, spin) are permitted.
While international aerobatic championships in the unlimited category are dominated by Swift S-1
and MDM-1 Fox, pilots have competed successfully with SZD-59 Acros in national and regional championships. Recently, Wolfgang Kasper placed 4th in the German Nationals 2008.
* at 540 kg
** at 97 km/h
* at 380 kg
** at 80 km/h
, Glaser-Dirks DG-100
, Rolladen-Schneider LS1
f, Glasflügel H206 Hornet, PZL Bialsko Jantar Standard, Grob G-102 Standard Astir
, Bölkow Phöbus B3, Schempp-Hirth Cirrus/Cirrus VTC 17,74m
, Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus 16m
, Bölkow Phöbus C1, Akaflieg
Darmstadt D37, Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 7, Neukom Elfe 17m, Standard Libelle 17m
and the Delphin 1 by Fritz Mahrer.
Glass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
glider
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
for aerobatics
Competition aerobatics
Competition aerobatics is an air sport in which judges rate the skill of pilots performing aerobatic flying. It is practiced in both piston-powered single-engine airplanes and gliders....
and cross-country flying by PZL Allstar
PZL
PZL was the main Polish aerospace manufacturer of the interwar period, based in Warsaw, functioning in 1928-1939...
of Bielsko-Biala
Bielsko-Biala
-Economy and Industry:Nowadays Bielsko-Biała is one of the best-developed parts of Poland. It was ranked 2nd best city for business in that country by Forbes. About 5% of people are unemployed . Bielsko-Biała is famous for its textile, machine-building, and especially automotive industry...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
The SZD-59 can be flown with a 13.2m span or a 15.0m span. Attaching or detaching the wing-tips takes only a few minutes. With 15m wing-tips it is a competitive Club Class
Glider Competition Classes
Competition classes in gliding, as in other sports, mainly exist to ensure fairness in competition. However the classes have not been targeted at fostering technological development as in other sports...
glider, while it is a competitive aerobatic glider in the 13.2m configuration.
Design and certification
The SZD-59 Acro was derived from the SZD-48-3 Jantar Standard 3PZL Bielsko SZD-48
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Simons, Martin. Sailplanes 1965-2000 2nd revised edition. EQIP Werbung und Verlag G.m.b.H.. Königswinter. 2005. ISBN 3-9808838-1-7...
in 1990-91 mainly by Jan Knapik. The fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
is only a slightly modified version of the one used in the Jantar Standard 3. However, the T-tail has been replaced by a cross-tail with larger rudder
Rudder
A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
and the elevator
Elevator (aircraft)
Elevators are flight control surfaces, usually at the rear of an aircraft, which control the aircraft's orientation by changing the pitch of the aircraft, and so also the angle of attack of the wing. In simplified terms, they make the aircraft nose-up or nose-down...
of the SZD-42-2 Jantar 2.
The design life is 15,000 hours, though at present it is approved for only 4,000 hours of operation. In 15m configuration, the SZD-59 is approved in the utility category of JAR 22
Joint Aviation Requirements
The Civil Aviation Authorities of certain European countries have agreed common comprehensive and detailed aviation requirements — referred to as the Joint Aviation Requirements — with a view to minimising Type Certification problems on joint ventures, and also to facilitate the export...
(sailplanes) of the Joint Aviation Authorities
Joint Aviation Authorities
The Joint Aviation Authorities, or JAA, was an associated body of the ECAC representing the civil aviation regulatory authorities of a number of European States who had agreed to co-operate in developing and implementing common safety regulatory standards and procedures...
, and in the 13.2m configuration it is approved according to the aerobatics category of JAR 22.
Manufacturer
The prototype was first demonstrated during the 1991 FAIFédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
World Glider Aerobatic Championships in Zielona Góra
Zielona Góra
Zielona Góra is a city in Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland, with 117,557 inhabitants within the city limits and 294,000 inhabitants within the metropolitan area, including three neighbouring counties ....
. Twelve Acros were built by PZL-Bielsko until the production stopped in 1996 due to economic problems.
Allstar PZL Glider Sp. z o.o.
PZL
PZL was the main Polish aerospace manufacturer of the interwar period, based in Warsaw, functioning in 1928-1939...
in Bielsko-Biala
Bielsko-Biala
-Economy and Industry:Nowadays Bielsko-Biała is one of the best-developed parts of Poland. It was ranked 2nd best city for business in that country by Forbes. About 5% of people are unemployed . Bielsko-Biała is famous for its textile, machine-building, and especially automotive industry...
(Poland) restarted production of the SZD-59 Acros in 2004. Currently, it is the only unlimited glider in serial production.
Soaring
With a handicap factor of 100, according to the 2008 handicap list of the Deutscher Aero Club e.V., the SZD-59 in 15m-configuration is a typical Club ClassGlider Competition Classes
Competition classes in gliding, as in other sports, mainly exist to ensure fairness in competition. However the classes have not been targeted at fostering technological development as in other sports...
glider. With 15m wing-tips with or without winglets glide performance can be enhanced by increasing its wing loading
Wing loading
In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. The faster an aircraft flies, the more lift is produced by each unit area of wing, so a smaller wing can carry the same weight in level flight, operating at a higher wing loading. Correspondingly,...
with up to 150 litres of water ballast, but water ballast is not allowed in the 13.2m configuration.
Aerobatics
In the 13.2m configuration, the SZD-59 is certified for unlimited aerobatics, whereas with the 15m wing-tips only basic aerobatic maneuverAerobatic maneuver
Aerobatic maneuvers are flight paths putting aircraft in unusual attitudes, in air shows, dog fights or competition aerobatics. Aerobatics can be performed by a single aircraft or in formation with several others...
s (looping, turn, chandelle, spin) are permitted.
While international aerobatic championships in the unlimited category are dominated by Swift S-1
Swift S-1
-Comparable aircraft:*Celair GA-1 Celstar*MDM-1 Fox*PZL Bielsko SZD-59-External links:* by Margański & Mysłowski Zakłady Lotnicze Sp. z o. o....
and MDM-1 Fox, pilots have competed successfully with SZD-59 Acros in national and regional championships. Recently, Wolfgang Kasper placed 4th in the German Nationals 2008.
Specifications in utility configuration
- Maneuver speed: 200 km/h
- water ballast: 150l
- wing loading range: 31.00-50.70 kg/m2
* at 540 kg
** at 97 km/h
Specifications in aerobatic configuration
- Maneuver speed: 200 km/h
- water ballast: 0l
- wing loading range: 33.7-38.8 kg/m2
* at 380 kg
** at 80 km/h
Comparable aerobatic gliders
The aerobatic performance of the SZD-59 13.2m is comparable to:- Celair GA-1 CelstarCelair GA-1 Celstar|-See also:-External links:*...
- MDM-1 Fox and Solo-Fox
- Swift S-1Swift S-1-Comparable aircraft:*Celair GA-1 Celstar*MDM-1 Fox*PZL Bielsko SZD-59-External links:* by Margański & Mysłowski Zakłady Lotnicze Sp. z o. o....
- Cirrus KSchempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus|-References:* * * Coates A.,Janes World Sailplanes and Motor Gliders, Janes,1980, ISBN 0 7106 0017 8, pg. 85* Simons M, Segelflugzeuge 1965-2000, Eqip, 2004* * ....
- Start & Flug H101 SaltoGlasflügel H-101-Bibliography:* Coates, Andrew. Jane's World Sailplanes and Motorgliders. London. Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1978. ISBN 0 354 01119 7*Martin Simons, Sailplanes, Vol...
- Vogt Lo-100Vogt Lo-100|-References:*Dietmar Geistmann, Die Segelflugzeuge in Deutschland, ISBN 3-87943-618-5*Georg Brütting, Die berühmtesten Segelflugzeuge, ISBN 3613022966*Martin Simons, Sailplanes, Vol...
Gliders with comparable cross-country performance
The soaring performance of the SZD-59 15m is comparable to Schleicher ASW 19Schleicher ASW 19
|-References:*****...
, Glaser-Dirks DG-100
Glaser-Dirks DG-100
|-Serial Numbering:WERKNUMMERN-SYSTEN FÜR SEGELFLUGZEUGE UND MOTORSEGLERSystem of Serial Numbers for Glider and MotorgliderExample Serial Number: E.102.G.72E - ELAN Manufacturer102 - 102nd DG-100 builtG - DG-100G series72 - 72nd built with damped elevator...
, Rolladen-Schneider LS1
Rolladen-Schneider LS1
|-References:**Thomas F, Fundamentals of Sailplane Design, College Park Press, 1999*Simons M, Segelflugzeuge 1965-2000, Equip, 2004*Selinger P, Segelflugzeug-Geschichten, Deutsches Segelflugmuseum*German-language Wikipedia*...
f, Glasflügel H206 Hornet, PZL Bialsko Jantar Standard, Grob G-102 Standard Astir
Grob G-102 Astir
-References:**Hardy, M. Gliders & Sailplanes of the World. Ian Allan, 1982*...
, Bölkow Phöbus B3, Schempp-Hirth Cirrus/Cirrus VTC 17,74m
Schempp-Hirth Cirrus
|-See also:-References:* Selinger P, Segelflugzeuge vom Wolf aum Discus, Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 1989* Ryan J, Cirrus Test Pilot Report, Soaring, July 1967* Foley W, The Schempp-Hirth Cirrus, Soaring, July 1967...
, Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus 16m
Schempp-Hirth Cirrus
|-See also:-References:* Selinger P, Segelflugzeuge vom Wolf aum Discus, Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 1989* Ryan J, Cirrus Test Pilot Report, Soaring, July 1967* Foley W, The Schempp-Hirth Cirrus, Soaring, July 1967...
, Bölkow Phöbus C1, Akaflieg
Akaflieg
Akaflieg is an abbreviation for Akademische Fliegergruppe, an academic group of pilots in pre and postwar Germany.-History:Otto Lilienthal published his book Der Vogelflug als Grundlage der Fliegekunst in 1889. This described the basics of modern aerodynamics and aircraft construction...
Darmstadt D37, Akaflieg Braunschweig SB 7, Neukom Elfe 17m, Standard Libelle 17m
Glasflügel H-201
|-References:*Thomas F, Fundamentals of Sailplane Design, College Park Press, 1999*Simons M, Segelflugzeuge 1965-2000, Eqip, 2004*...
and the Delphin 1 by Fritz Mahrer.