The composite Swift glider designed by Edward Marganski and Jerzy Cisowski was created as a successor to the Kobuz, which was withdrawn from aerobatic flying after the 1989 disaster.
The first prototype exhibited in the Museum, with a one-piece wooden wing from a Kobuz glider, initially named Akrobat, was flown for the first time by January Roman on 11 January 1990. The production version prototype was flown on 6 August 1990. The Swift’s first appearance at the World Glider Aerobatic Championships in 1991 was a sensation.
Production was undertaken by Marganski & Myslowski Aviation Works in Bielsko-Biala on behalf of the Polish-British-Swiss company Swift Ltd. 35 examples were built. Today, the Swift, together with Edward Marganski’s second design, the MDM-1 Fox, are the most widespread competition aerobatic gliders in the world.
The exhibited prototype SP-P600 was donated to the Museum’s collection by Edward Marganski in 1992.
| Wingspan | 13.0 m |
| Length | 6.75 m |
| Wing area | 11.8 m2 |
| Empty weight | 280 kg |
| Takeoff weight | 390 kg |
| Glide ratio | 30 at optimum speed of 107 km/h |
| Sink rate | min. 0.9 m/s at economy speed of 104 km/h |
| Minimum speed | 73 km/h |
| Max. dive speed | 320 km/h |
| Permissible load factors | +10/-7.5 g |
