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17-603: From 1956 , the Soviet light three-seat or four-seat helicopter Mi-1 was produced under license in the Polish WSK PZL-Świdnik works in Świdnik , under a designation SM-1 – and as much, as 1594 were manufactured. In 1957 , works started in WSK PZL-Świdnik to modernize the helicopter and fit it with an enlarged, five-seat cabin. One of the design goals was to make training easier, by placing the two pilots side by side. In

34-876: A Czech squadron of the Royal Air Force was transferred to the National Technical Museum in Prague in 2008. The post-World War II period is represented by aircraft such as the Avia S-199 and double seated Avia CS-199 ( Messerschmitt Bf 109G with Jumo engine) and the Aero C3A (Siebel Si-204). In addition to the many military aircraft and helicopters on display, there are several Soviet-designed airliners, some of which were built under licence in Czechoslovakia. Airliners on display include

51-880: A collection in Góraszka and in PZL Świdnik factory. One is preserved at the Helicopter Museum , Weston-super-Mare , in the United Kingdom. Two other SM-2 are preserved in the Czech Republic ( Prague Aviation Museum ) and Romania (aviation museum in Bucharest) - both are stored (as of 2016). Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66 General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era 1956 in aviation This

68-716: A collection of supersonic jet fighters. Several unique types are on display, including the early 1920s-built Avia BH-11 C L-BONK. The period before World War II is represented with aircraft such as the Avia B-534. World War II models include a Soviet-built Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik, Avia S-92 (Czech version of Messerschmitt Me-262A Schwalbe in typical Czech colour), Avia CS-92 (Messerschmitt Me-262B Schwalbe in typical German camouflage), Lavochkin La-7. The formerly displayed fully authentic Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX flown by

85-551: A durability of 600 flight hours, like contemporary SM-1 helicopters. SM-2s were used mainly by Polish military aviation – 80 were delivered, between March 1961 and 1964. They were operated in small numbers by several units of the Polish Air Force and Polish Navy, mostly for liaison, artillery spotting, air ambulance tasks and others. In the Polish Navy they were used for search-and-rescue actions. This number included

102-643: A flight assigned to the Internal Security Corps, later the Ministry of Internal Affairs (police aviation). Only two ex-military SM-2 (registration numbers SP-SXY and SP-SXZ) and the second prototype were used by a civilian air ambulance service. One helicopter remained in PZL-Świdnik factory (SP-SAP), and the other was acquired by the factory from the air force (SP-SFA). Most SM-2s were withdrawn in late 1970s and replaced with Mil Mi-2 . The last one

119-403: A rear bench and one seat next to a pilot. There were no double controls. In the air ambulance configuration, single stretchers were carried in the fuselage: loaded through a special hatch in a fuselage front, on the right side. A physician could sit behind the pilot, while other seats were removed. An additional two patients could be carried in detachable external closed capsules on either side of

136-466: Is a list of aviation -related events from 1956. The deadliest crash of this year was the 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision of 30 June, when a United Airlines Douglas DC-7 collided with a TWA Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation over the Grand Canyon , Arizona , U.S., killing all 128 people aboard both aircraft. At the time, this was the deadliest accident in civil aviation history . It

153-542: Is also the deadliest civil aviation crash of the 1950s decade; the 1953 Tachikawa air disaster had killed 129 people but involved a military aircraft. The deadliest single-aircraft accident was Linea Aeropostal Venezolana Flight 253 , a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off New Jersey , U.S. on 20 June, killing all 74 people on board. Prague Aviation Museum Kbely Aviation Museum ( Czech : Letecké Muzeum Kbely )

170-693: Is the largest aviation museum in the Czech Republic and one of the largest of its kind in Europe . It is located to the north-east of Prague , at the military airport Kbely . During the mid-1960s, the Prague Military Museum commenced a programme to recover, restore and preserve historic aircraft from around the country for eventual display at Kbely. Initially, one hangar was used, and about fifty aircraft were placed on public display. The aircraft collection continued to grow, and one of

187-655: The Avia 14M ( Ilyushin Il-14 ), an Avia 14T, an ex-CSA Ilyushin Il-18 and a CSA Tupolev Tu-104 . Light aircraft exhibited include the Czech-built Praga E-114 Air Baby of 1936, a Mraz Sokol , an Aero 45 , an Orlican L-40 Meta Sokol and a Zlin 22 Junak. Helicopters on display include a HC-2 Heli-Baby designed by VZLU (Výzkumný a zkušební letecký ústav). After 1 January 1993, when Czechoslovakia

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204-532: The air ambulance role, treating a patient inside the fuselage was easier than in side capsules. The helicopter's main designer was Jerzy Tyrcha. The most obvious difference was a larger cabin, extended towards the front, but in fact most fuselage parts were reconstructed. The cabin had two wide side doors, sliding rearwards, being an improvement over the Mi-1, in which its automobile door could not be opened in flight and had to be removed for some purposes. Unchanged were:

221-401: The engine, transmission and rotor, the fuselage boom and the landing gear (only early machines had different front wheel suspension). On contrary to the Mi-1, a headlight was movable. The prototype first flew on 18 November 1959. It appeared successful and a limited production started in 1960 . Its take-off characteristics and performance were slightly worse than of Mi-1/SM-1: one of the reasons

238-464: The fuselage, typical for Mi-1. All variants could carry additional 140 L external fuel tank on the left side, extending range to 500 km (it could not be used with side capsules). The crane variant (sometimes known as SM-2D) was used in limited numbers for search and rescue missions; it had a hydraulic winch that could lift 120 kg, in a place of a right front seat. After removal of all passenger seats, 320 kg of load could be carried. They had

255-512: The original Wagner-type hangars on the airfield was brought into use, and now contains the earliest aircraft types on display. Another Picha-type hangar has also been added to bring the number of hangars housing the large and varied collection to four. The collection at Kbely now includes 275 aircraft, of which approximately 110 are on public display at any given time. The museum contains many Czech designed and Czech built aircraft dating from World War I through World War II and up to 1960's with

272-577: Was an unsuitable carburetor intake, but this defect was improved only on some helicopters. Only 86 helicopters were produced in four series, differing in details, plus three prototypes (some sources say 91 or 85). They were produced almost exclusively for Poland, while the SM-1 remained the main export product of Świdnik at that time. The helicopter was manufactured only in one variant, and could change its role to passenger, transport, air ambulance or flying crane. Basic variant had seats for three passengers on

289-910: Was withdrawn from the air force in 1981, and flew until 1983 (it was preserved in the factory). Only five SM-2 were exported. One was sold to Czechoslovakia, used in 1963–70 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (registration OK-BYK), then by Slov-Air until 1975 for internal transport (registration changed to OK-RUV). Four SM-2 were sold in 1963 to Romania, used by 1975 in the military aviation (the 94th Helicopter Regiment). Four SM-2s are preserved in museums in Poland: in Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków , in Museum of Polish Arms in Kołobrzeg , Drzonów and Dęblin . Apart from museums there exist SM-2 in

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