Andrychów 2024-12-02
WSK PZL Mielec Lim-2 nb 1527.
Geographic coordinates: 49.855N 19.348E. Elevation 339 m (1112.20 ft).
In Andrychów at the intersection of Krakowska Street (national road No. 28) and Włókniarzy Street, a Lim-2 nb 1527 aircraft stands on a metal structure. But in reality it is a shell, which is composed of four different aircraft manufactured in WSK PZL Mielec; Lim-1 aircraft and Lim-2 aircraft. The front part comes from the Lim-2 nb 1527 aircraft. The rear part comes from the Lim-1/MiG-15 aircraft, as do the wings. The aircraft has been in Andrychów since 1976 and has become a permanent part of the local landscape.
The aircraft came to Andrychów by accident. The city councilors decided to take part in the popular, televised Cities Tournament in the 1970s. The tournament took place every Sunday. In each edition, two cities took part, competing with each other in various fields. For the purposes of this competition, it was decided to beautify the city with modern technology – a jet plane. It was a time when many organizations asked military units to donate a plane. Often, interested parties thought that the army would immediately load the plane onto a truck and bring it to the indicated location. This was not the case. The decision was made at the Ministry of National Defense in Warsaw, and the request had to be well-founded. Andrychów city councilors succeeded and in December 1976, the plane was donated to the city. The plane was placed on a steel structure made by employees of the Diesel Engine Factory “Andoria” in Andrychów.
The front part of the plane from Andrychów comes from the Lim-2 plane no. 1B 15-027 / 1527, which was manufactured in April 1956. It was the fifteenth production series, which numbered 30 planes; No. 1B 15-001 to 1B 15-030. Production of Lim-2 aircraft began in September 1954. On November 23, 1956, production of Lim-2 aircraft was completed at WSK PZL Mielec. 530 Lim-2 aircraft were built. Other sources indicate 496 Lim-2 aircraft. This difference may be due to the number of aircraft contracted and built.
The remaining elements of the aircraft from Andrychów are; the rear part and wings come from MiG-15 / Lim-1 No. 1A aircraft. Lim-1 aircraft were manufactured at WSK PZL Mielec from September 1952 to September 1954. 237 Lim-1 aircraft were manufactured. Many of these aircraft were rebuilt into two-seater training aircraft SB Lim-1 / SB Lim-2.
In 1976, an additional plaque was mounted on the aircraft; “Lim-2 fighter jet aircraft of Polish design. Gift of the Polish People’s Air Force. Object of remembrance of pilots who died in defense and liberation of the Homeland during the Second World War. Assembled as a voluntary effort by employees of WSW “Andoria” in December 1976.”
The aircraft was systematically renovated every few years; washed and painted. But time passed and not everyone liked this aircraft. Often to people who were not yet born in 1976. In 2015, the idea of transferring the plane to the Museum of Technology and Military in Rzeszów arose. The transfer was to be free of charge. To be honest, there is a facility in Rzeszów that is far from a real museum. Visiting the facility was very difficult. In 2023, you had to organize a group of people, write an application and wait for it to be considered and a date to be set. Fortunately, the residents of the city of Andrychów protested, because they have never forgotten about the plane.
In 2015, during talks, it turned out that the plane has no owner. The transfer of the plane in 1976 took place without documents. It also turned out that the plane had never been in the inventory of the now defunct WSW “Andoria” company, and the task performed by the employees was a voluntary act. There were also talks with the owners of the plot, i.e. the TESCO company. The company never treated the plane as its own and did not contribute to its maintenance, especially since TESCO only appeared in the new century and currently (2024) no longer trades in Poland.
The aircraft was taken off the pedestal, transported to a plant that renovated the exhibit and reassembled it in its place. The city paid for the renovation.
The first MiG-15 fighter aircraft arrived in Poland on July 19, 1951. In Poland, at WSK Mielec, serial production of MiG-15 aircraft began under the designation Lim-1. The first Lim-1 aircraft was built on July 17, 1952. The Lim-1 aircraft was the first turbojet fighter aircraft produced under license in Poland.
The Lim-2 aircraft No. 1B 015-27, began service in Orneta in the 29th Fighter Aviation Regiment. In the period 1960-1963, the aircraft served in the 5th Assault Aviation Regiment in Bydgoszcz. In 1964, at the Military Aviation Works in Bydgoszcz, the aircraft was modernized to the fighter-reconnaissance version Lim-2 R and was transferred to Sochaczew. Here the aircraft was entered into the state of a new regiment; the 21st Tactical Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment. In 1972, the aircraft served in Dęblin, and then Oleśnica, as a scientific aid. The aircraft was repaired at the Military Aviation Works in Bydgoszcz. During the last repair, the aircraft was dismantled into four basic elements. The front part of the fuselage was connected to the rear part of the UTI MiG-15 aircraft. On the other hand, the rear part of the fuselage was connected to the front part of the UTI Lim-2 and at the same time it was rebuilt into the SB Lim-2 A (Art) version. This foldable aircraft flew in the Polish Army until 1983. The wings were used in other Lim-2 aircraft and replaced with other wings. The new assembly was delivered to the slope, from where it was transferred in December 1976, to Andrychów.
The aircraft placed on a pedestal in Andrychów was renovated at least three times. These works were performed by employees of WSW “Andoria”, during the glory days of this factory. In 2002, the aircraft was painted with new paints. In the period 2015-2016, after the aircraft was dismantled from its steel structure, it was renovated by the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków and re-installed in Andrychów. The aircraft is an assembly and a shell, meaning it is devoid of the engine and cockpit equipment.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman