Szd SZD-9bis Bocian M-2000
The Bocian, Polish for 'Stork', is a two-seat sailplane designed by Marian Wasilewski, Roman Zatwarnicki and Justyn Sandauer at the Bielsko-Biala glider works, first flying on 10 March 1952. Intended to serve everything from basic training to competition flying, it went on to set 29 world records for Polish pilots between 1955 and 1968. Production reached 617 aircraft by 1977, and the type was exported to 27 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Its high-mounted tandem two-seat cockpit remains a recognisable sight at gliding clubs still flying these Cold War-era Polish trainers today.
Did you know?
The Polish-made Bocian glider seats its two crew high in tandem, a cockpit arrangement still recognizable at gliding clubs.
Specifications
| Length | 7.9 m (26 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 18.1 m (59 ft) |
| Height | 1.3 m (4 ft) |
| Persons on board | 2 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 0.5 t |
| Stall speed | 28 kt (52 km/h) |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Szd SZD-9bis Bocian M-2000 starts as a Uncommon catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Szd, the SZD-9bis Bocian M-2000 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
Browse all aircraft types, or learn to tell Airbus from Boeing.