Kraków 2025-02-28
Amateur plane Kukułka.
The amateur plane Kukułka is an aircraft built by Mr. Eugeniusz Pieniążek at the beginning of the 70s of the 20th century. The aircraft was built specifically for the purpose of making an aerial escape from the communist paradise. Of course, this purpose was hidden. Mr. Eugeniusz Pieniążek was harassed by the authorities of the Polish People’s Republic, who hindered his aviation activities.
The aircraft, with a wooden structure, was built based on the design of the English aircraft Turbulent. The construction used; the rear part of the SZD-24 Foka glider, modified wings of the SZD-8 Jaskółka glider, the control stick of the SZD-32 Zefir-4 glider, the Continental A-65 engine and the landing gear of the Piper Cup aircraft. Work began at the end of 1969. The designer built the plane in his own apartment in a block of flats in Leszno. The whole thing was assembled at the airport in Leszno. The elements that did not fit in the staircase were lowered through the window on ropes. The plane made its first flight in the spring of 1971, and the pilot was Mr. Ludwik Natkaniec. The Kukułka plane was the first amateur plane in the Polish People’s Republic to be registered. Registration: SP-PHN.
On September 13, 1971, Eugeniusz Pieniążek took off from the airport in Krosno with the intention of escaping. His destination was Yugoslavia. The pilot used road maps for navigation. The flight took place in difficult weather conditions; the pilot encountered a storm. A successful landing took place in Subotnica in Yugoslavia, which is currently Serbia. After a few months, the pilot made it to Sweden, where he remained in exile for 90 years.
After escaping to Yugoslavia, the aircraft was removed from the register on July 29, 1972. In 1992, the aircraft was registered in Sweden, with the registration SE-XKK. In 1997, the aircraft was again in Poland, with the registration SP-FKU. In 1990, the aircraft had its engine replaced with a more powerful one and its landing gear, and was restored to flying condition. On September 13, 2005, the pilot handed the aircraft over to the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków.
Kukułka aircraft T-T data: 4-cylinder engine, in a Continental C-90 boxer configuration, with a power of 90 HP. Wingspan 8.00 m. Length 5.40 m. Take-off weight 446 kg. Maximum speed 210 km/h. Speed with a weaker engine 160 km/h. Range 500 km. Fuel capacity 54 liters. Ceiling 3,350 m. Inrun 220 m. Landing 150 m.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman