The first Polish glider of entirely metal construction. In 1960, the Aero Club of the People’s Republic of Poland commissioned the development of a two-seat metal glider to be used for training and advanced flying. The idea behind introducing metal gliders was to standardise equipment in aero clubs by reducing the number of types in use. Moreover, metal gliders had greater durability and could be stored in the open.
The designers responded with two projects: the SZD-27 Kormoran, developed at the Glider Experimental Works in Bielsko under the direction of engineer Jozef Niespal in 1961-1962, and the PZL M-8 Pelikan. The Kormoran was selected for production. The Kormoran prototype was first flown by Adam Zientek on 2 January 1965. Serial production was not undertaken – only 2 prototypes were built. The production of an all-metal glider allowed the Glider Experimental Works to gain experience in designing and building metal structures.
The first SZD-27 Kormoran prototype with registration SP-2463 was operated at the Poznan Aero Club from 1968 to 1981. It was handed over to the Museum in 1982. The fuselage of the glider is on display in the exhibition.
| Wingspan | 17.0 m |
| Length | 8.0 m |
| Takeoff weight | 552 kg |
| Empty weight | 382 kg |
| Maximum speed | 150 km/h |
| Wing area | 19.3 m2 |
| Glide ratio | 28.1 at 93 km/h |
| Minimum sink rate | 0.8 m/s at 80 km/h |
| Minimum speed | 64 km/h |
| Maximum diving speed | 235 km/h |
