| SZD-51 Junior | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Sailplane |
| National origin | Poland |
| Manufacturer | PZL Bielsko |
| Designer | |
| Number built | 261 |
| History | |
| First flight | 31 December 1980 |
| Developed from | SZD-47 |
The PZL Bielsko SZD-51 Junior is a Polish single-seat training and club sailplane.
The Junior was designed by Stanislaw Zientek, based on the SZD-47 which had originally been developed in the years 1973 - 1974 at the Research and Development Center in Bielsko-Biała. The prototype SZD-51-0 was first flown on 31 December 1980, and was followed by the production version, the SZD-51-1, with a modified fuselage, A total of 261 aircraft were built. The type was proposed for licence production in Brazil, but in the event only a single SZD-51-1 was built there. The simplified SZD-51-2 was a runner up in the IGC World Class design contest.
The SZD-51-1 "Junior" is a single-seat glider of fiberglass construction. Only the rudder is fabric covered. The fuselage has an internal tubular steel frame, a fixed main wheel and a tail wheel. The aircraft has a two-piece wing with a spar. Schempp-Hirth type airbrakes are fitted only on the top surface of the wing. Rudder pedals are adjustable. The control for the rudder is via cables but all other control surfaces are operated by rods. The Junior is characterized by good slow-flight characteristics and is very forgiving in flight. It is designed for early solo and club flying, but is certified for aerobatics and can be equipped for high-altitude flight and cloud flying.
As of 2014 this glider is currently in use with 3 Wing AAFC of Australian Air Force Cadets. [1]
As of 2024, Southern Cross Gliding Club in Camden, NSW also has a Junior operating.
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89 [2]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists List of gliders
