In 1948, engineer Tadeusz Soltyk designed the Zuch 1 aerobatic training aircraft, which was a development of the LWD Junak, powered by a Czechoslovak Walter Minor 6-III inline engine with a power output of 160 hp. The prototype made its maiden flight on 1 September 1948. Despite good flight characteristics, it never entered serial production because Poland was not granted a licence to manufacture these engines.
Subsequently, the Zuch 2 version was developed, powered by a former German Siemens Bramo Sh 14 radial engine, with inferior performance and flight characteristics, as these engines produced greater aerodynamic drag and, due to their level of wear, only achieved a power output of approximately 116 instead of 160 hp. The prototype of this version made its maiden flight on 1 April 1949, piloted by Antoni Szymanski at the Lublinek airfield. In 1950, five examples were produced at the Aviation Experimental Workshops in Lodz. They were used in aero clubs until 1955.
The aircraft with factory number 22 and registration SP-BAM was the second of the five Zuch 2s produced. It served in aero clubs from February 1952 to December 1963. In 1964, after an overhaul at the APRL Repair Works in Krosno, it was displayed at the 20th Anniversary of the Polish People’s Republic exhibition at the Krakow-Rakowice-Czyzyny airfield, where it remained as an exhibit of the emerging Aviation Museum. In 2015, the aircraft underwent a comprehensive restoration.
| Wingspan | 10.0 m |
| Length | 7.61 m |
| Takeoff weight | 1020 kg |
| Maximum speed | 222 km/h |
| Ceiling | 4750 m |
| Range | 1160 km |
| Armament | – |
| Engine | 7-cylinder radial Bramo Sh 14A-4, 160 hp (118 kW) (in practice 116 hp /85 kW) |
