SZD-24 „Foka“ – the Polish glider

The history of the glider began with an internal competition at Szybowcowe Zaklady Doswiadczalne (SZD - Pilot Glider Workshop) in Bielsko-Biała. The initial project of W. Okarmus and P. Mynarski, although it won the competition, had to be seriously reworked. Thus was born "Foka" (original name "Delfin") - the world's first glider with a reclining pilot position. Due to the upcoming 1960 World Championship, which was to take place in Kiel, Germany, the prototype took to the air for the first time on May 2, 1960. The machine had good flight characteristics, but the shortcomings, that were discovered (weak air brakes), forced the production of a second prototype, which took off on May 24. Further corrections and rework (increasing the tail surfaces, changing the wing area, improving the landing gear and improving the visibility from the cockpit) resulted in a new version of the glider - SZD-24B. After testing the new prototype, the glider was put into serial production and designated SZD-24C. According to different data, these version gliders produced between 80 and 100. Later built gliders - prototypes "Foka-2", "Foka-3". "Foka-4" with a modified wing attachment took off for the first time on 02.25.1962, serially produced as SZD -24 "Foka-4A", performed well at the World Championships in Chunin, Argentina. The glider began serial production in Wroclaw in 1964. Great success followed the "Foka" at the 1965 Gliding World Championships in South Corney, England, where J. Wroblewski won the World Champion title, and E. Makula - third place. It was even more unusual for a standard class machine to win the open class. In 1968 the FAI organization behind the “Foka” project presented the Diploma, named after P. Tissander to its author V. Okarmus.

A simple little model of a glider, well designed, richly detailed and suitable even for a beginner modeler, working under the supervision of a more experienced colleague.