BŻ-1 GIL
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The BŻ-1 GIL was the first Polish experimental helicopter.
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[edit] History
The helicopter was designed at the research institute Główny Instytut Lotnictwa - Main Aviation Institute in Warsaw, from an initiative of Zbigniew Brzoska. The Polish aviation industry was destroyed after World War II and in addition, the principal of the Institute was the only person who had seen a helicopter (Sikorsky R-4 in England). Work on the experimental design started in 1948, and the main designer became Bronisław Żurakowski (brother of Janusz Żurakowski),who designed the helicopter rotor,auxiliary rotor and the control system.The structure of the fuselage, tail boom and tricycle undercarriage were designed by Tadeusz Chyliński. The power unit and final drive were designed by Zbigniew Brzoska. The design utilized some components left by the Germans, like a piston engine Hirth and wheels of a glider's landing gear. Initially, the helicopter had no name. It only received the registration SP-GIL, from the Institute abbreviation, and soon it became known as GIL (gil also means bullfinch in Polish). Later it was also given the designation BŻ-1, from Żurakowski's initials.
The helicopter was completed by the end of 1949. During the first flight trial on January 15, 1950, it was overturned by wind and had to be repaired. The test pilot was Bronisław Żurakowski, who had to learn to fly a helicopter only by himself. The helicopter first flew on April 4, 1950, held by two men for a safety. During 1950-1953 it underwent a test program and was often modified. At first it had elastic rotor blades. In 1950 it was fitted with rigid blades and an efficient simple custom designed resonant vibration eliminator. During tests it crashed or was damaged at least 7 times, for different reasons, without casualties, and was repaired. On July 20, 1952 it was first displayed to the public, during an airshow at Okęcie airfield (it was possibly one of the first helicopter presentation in the Eastern Bloc, the Soviet Mil Mi-1 was put into production two years earlier). On November 16, 1953 the helicopter was damaged - the main rotor was bent by the wind and cut off the rear beam, ending the test program. It had completed 169 flights by then, 20 hours 21 minutes in total.
In 1956 the helicopter was repaired and used for training flights by helicopter pilots. On June 28, 1957 a tail rotor gear (originally from a WWII Zündapp motorcycle) broke and it could not be replaced, and the helicopter never flew again, being written off in 1960. During 1956-1957 it had completed 185 flights, for a total of 12.5 hours.
Currently BŻ-1 GIL is preserved in the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków.
[edit] Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 1, pilot
- Capacity: 1
- Length: 8.5 m ()
- Rotor diameter: 8.8 m ()
- Height: 3 m ()
- Disc area: 60.8 m² ()
- Empty weight: 510 kg ()
- Loaded weight: 610 kg ()
- Powerplant: 1× Hirth HM 504 radial engine, air cooled, 105 hp ()
Performance
- Maximum speed: 140 km/h
- Service ceiling: 2000 m ()
- Rate of climb: 4.5 m/s ()
[edit] Related content
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
BŻ-1 - BŻ-4 Żuk
Timeline of aviation
Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines
Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable military accidents and incidents · Notable airline accidents and incidents · Famous aviation-related deaths
Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft
[edit] Sources
- "Śmigłowiec BŻ-1 GIL" in Lotnictwo 2/05 (Polish language)
