Polskie Szybowce 04 SZD-9-Bocian

SZD-9 Bocian was a Polish, two-seat, training and sports glider with a fully wooden structure in a medium wing configuration. The glider was developed at Szybowcowe Zakłady Doświadczalnych (SZD) based in Bielsko-Biała. The prototype flight took place in 1952. The curb weight of the sailplane was from 326 to 345 kilograms.

Work on the SZD-9 began in 1950, and the pace of research and development on the new glider was relatively high in the team led by Eng. Marian Wasilewski. The new aircraft was designed from the very beginning as a two-plane, which would replace the increasingly obsolete SZD-C Żuraw in the training of glider pilots. Ultimately, the SZD-9 turned out to be an incredibly successful design, which was exported to many countries, including Austria, Australia, Belgium and Switzerland. It was also widely used in Polish flying clubs. In the course of serial production, many development versions of the glider were created, among which are worth mentioning, for example: SZD-9 Bocian B (version with enlarged horizontal tail), SZD-9 Bocian Z (version dedicated mainly to gliding competitions), SZD-9 Bocian bis -1D (version with an enlarged wheel at the front of the fuselage). It is estimated that a total of about 615 SZD-9 Bocian gliders of all versions were built. A total of 29 world records for gliding were set on this type of aircraft.