“Wings and People of the 20th Century” is an exhibition dedicated to the history of aviation in Poland and around the world in the first half of the last century. It presents the development of aviation technology from the 1930s to the early 1960s, with particular emphasis on operations during World War II. The exhibition features combat and training aircraft, armament and engine components, as well as memorabilia of Polish pilots — both men and women — that bring to life the stories and achievements of those who shaped the history of aviation.
Estimated time for an individual visit — approximately 50–70 minutes.
It is housed in the restored hangar of the 2. Pułk Lotniczy (2nd Aviation Regiment) — a place that before the war buzzed with life, where the roar of engines and the calls of mechanics could be heard. Today, this historic space is not just an exhibition — it is a vivid, narrative journey that guides visitors through the history of aviation in the first half of the 20th century, showcasing an era in which courage was matched against technology, and the fate of the world hung in the balance in the skies above.
It is here that aircraft, armaments, engines, and numerous personal memorabilia of distinguished aviators — such as Karol Pniak, Bolesław Orliński, Stefania Wojtulanis, and Jadwiga Piłsudska — come together to create a profoundly moving, authentic portrait of those times.
Right at the entrance, the Curtiss Hawk II commands attention — an American dive bomber purchased by the Third Reich to gain the experience needed for designing its own combat aircraft. It is a dark symbol of the approaching conflict that dominated the entire 20th century and changed the fate of the world forever. Further on, visitors encounter some of the most precious aircraft — true treasures of Polish aviation. The first is the pre-war trainer PWS-26, on which future aerial heroes took their first steps. The second is a PZL P.11c from the Kraków-based 121 Eskadra Myśliwska (121st Fighter Squadron), which resisted the Germans during the attack on Poland in September 1939. This particular aircraft is the only surviving example in the world, making it a priceless witness to the history of Polish aviation.
The hangar also houses other aircraft on which Polish aviators fought on the fronts of World War II:
To provide a more complete picture of the era, aircraft of the adversaries are displayed right alongside — the German fighter Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 and the transport Amiot AAC-1 Toucan in the livery of a German Junkers Ju 52/3m from the Eastern Front.
And this is where one of the exhibition’s greatest attractions lies. Visitors can step inside both “Auntie Ju” — as the Amiot AAC-1 Toucan was nicknamed — and the Soviet Li-2 in Polish markings, which houses an exhibition dedicated to airborne troops.
This is a unique opportunity to see these aircraft not just from the outside, but to go inside — to feel the space of the cabin, to look through the same windows that soldiers and crew once peered through, to almost “smell the history” — as if being transported for a moment into the very heart of wartime operations. Thanks to this, a visit to the hangar becomes something more — a truly immersive encounter with the history of aviation and the events of war.
The further section of the exhibition takes visitors into the post-war era. Here one can see jet fighters: the Yakovlev Yak-23, the de Havilland Vampire, and the impressive de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.21, designed by engineer Wsiewołod Jakimiuk — the creator of the production versions of the PZL P.7 and P.11 fighters — as well as training aircraft well known from military airfields and aero clubs: the Yakovlev Yak-18, the TS-9 Junak 3, and the Zlin Z-26.
At the exit of the hangar, visitors are seen off by two helicopters with Polish roots — the WSK SM-2 and the Saunders-Roe Skeeter AOP.12, designed in Great Britain with the involvement of Polish engineer Tadeusz Ciastuła.
On multimedia screens, visitors can delve into the history of Polish aviation and the Rakowice-Czyżyny airfield itself — the cradle of many aviation traditions. The mezzanine and the space beneath it are devoted to the fascinating history of the Liga Obrony Powietrznej i Przeciwgazowej (Air and Anti-Gas Defence League) — a mass civic organization that during the interwar period laid the foundations of Poland’s defence capabilities and promoted aviation — as well as the history of the 2. Pułk Lotniczy (2nd Aviation Regiment), which was stationed right here at the time.
