The DFS Weihe (Harrier) is a German high-performance glider of wooden construction, designed in 1938 at the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (German Research Institute for Gliding) by engineer Hans Jacobs.
Until 1945, the Weihe gliders were produced at Schweyer-Flugzeugbau in Mannheim and Jacobs-Schweyer Flugzeugbau in Darmstadt. After the war, production continued in Germany — Focke-Wulf produced 50 units, and additionally it was manufactured under licence in France, Spain, Sweden and Yugoslavia. Over 400 were built in total.
In Poland after the war, 11 units captured from the Germans were restored and used by regional aeroclubs. They were employed for competition flying and training of top glider pilots. In 1948, the DFS Weihe was given the official Polish name “Ważka”. They were withdrawn from service in 1953.
The exhibited aircraft, serial number 000316, registration SP-029, manufactured in 1943, was transferred to the NOT Museum of Technology in Warsaw after being withdrawn from service. It was donated from there to the Polish Aviation Museum collection on 1 October 1963.
