The SZD-24 Foka is a Standard Class competition glider of wooden construction, designed in the late 1950s at the Glider Research Centre in Bielsko-Biala by engineers Wladyslaw Okarmus and Piotr Mynarski with the intention of entering it in the OSTIV (Organisation scientifique et technique du vol a voile — International Scientific and Technical Organisation of Gliding) competition for the best Standard Class glider and competing in the World Gliding Championships in Cologne in 1960.
On the second prototype, Adam Witek won third place at those championships. In September 1961, the improved SZD-24C version with single-spar wings, equipped with an oxygen system, modified landing gear and instrument panel was put into production. 80 examples were built. Subsequently, prototypes of the SZD-24-2 Foka 2 and SZD-24-3 Foka 3 with modified wings were developed, but they did not enter serial production.
In 1962, production of the Foka 4A version with sparless wings began. 111 examples were produced, many of which were exported. Many of these gliders are still flying today. On the Foka 4, Jan Wroblewski won the Open Class at the World Gliding Championships in South Cerney, United Kingdom, in 1965, while Franciszek Kepka and Jerzy Wojnar finished 3rd and 4th respectively in the Standard Class.
Several world records were set on Foka gliders:
– In 1960, Pelagia Majewska set a speed record of 62.29 km/h on a 300 km triangle course on a Foka.
– In 1963, Pelagia Majewska improved this record to 72 km/h, and on the same day Adela Dankowska improved it to 82.5 km/h.
– In 1963, Jan Wroblewski completed an out-and-return flight on the Leszno-Olsztyn-Leszno route of 682 km.
– In 1964, Henryk Lisiecki completed an open distance flight of 744 km.
The exhibited example, factory number W-234, registration SP-2451, was manufactured in 1964 at the Sports Aviation Equipment Works in Wroclaw.
| Wingspan | 14.98 m |
| Length | 7.0 m |
| Wing area | 12.16 m2 |
| Empty weight | 228 kg |
| Takeoff weight | 313 kg |
| Glide ratio | 34 at optimum speed of 84 km/h |
| Sink rate | min. 0.66 m/s at economy speed of 75 km/h |
| Minimum speed | 64 km/h |
| Max. dive speed | 260 km/h |
