13 April 2025, right after the AERO air show in Friedrichshafen, was a special day for our centre. In constant phone contact with the Allstar PZL Glider team, we were waiting for the arrival of a new glider in Mirosławice.
From AERO Friedrichshafen to the first flight
13 April 2025, right after the AERO air show in Friedrichshafen, was a special day for our centre. In constant phone contact with the Allstar PZL Glider Sp. z o.o. team, we were waiting for the arrival in Mirosławice of a new glider that I consider one of the best Polish designs – the SZD-54-2 PERKOZ. Along with it came our second new glider, the SZD-51-1 JUNIOR, which together with the Perkoz stood proudly at the manufacturer’s stand, attracting a great deal of interest from visitors.
The convoy was led by the experienced test pilot Mariusz Stajewski, who supervised the assembly of the gliders with exceptional care and introduced us to the secrets of the Perkoz, a design that was new to us. Our example is very well equipped with avionics, including the modern LXNav LX9050, which supports and records cross-country flights in line with FAI rules. It also has three types of wing tips allowing different spans:
- 17.5 metres with winglets for training,
- 20.0 metres with winglets for cross-country flying,
- 17.5 metres with flat tips for advanced aerobatics.
With the 20 m span in particular it looked impressive and drew genuine admiration from pilots walking past us.
The beautiful new glider forced us to change our logistics, including adapting the hangar dolly to move the glider sideways. It also turned out that with the tips fitted it would not „fit” through the gate separating the hangar area from the airfield and taxiways. Never mind, though, because as the manufacturer wrote on their website: „Perkoz – the dream ship for every club”.
Visually we agreed with that one hundred per cent, but what would it be like in the air? We had to wait for the answer until the paperwork cleared it for flight.
The test flight
That day came on 31 May 2025. Equipped with the necessary documents, and with flushed cheeks, we towed the Perkoz to the launch point. With its 20 m span it took up a significant part of the 50 m wide runway.
I was to carry out the acceptance flight of the new glider, and as soon as I sat in the cockpit I was impressed by the excellent visibility, the ergonomics of the equipment and the comfortably shaped seat. Something new for me was the placement of several navigation instrument buttons on the control stick.
An excited Michał asked whether I would „let him loose” on the Perkoz after my flight. I could not answer that question before take-off.
The Wilga taxied up and the launch commands were given. The large wingspan, and with it the glider’s high glide ratio, meant that after a short ground run I was already airborne. The excellent handling was surprising. The glider was „sensitive” and responded instantly to the smallest control inputs. Despite strong thermals it held position behind the tow plane precisely, which compared to the Jantar 2B of similar span was clearly a point in the Perkoz’s favour.
Impressions from the flight
After releasing from the tow plane it only got better. The Perkoz is the thirtieth glider I have flown, and it is definitely one of the best designs – refined in every detail and free of the flaws of its predecessors, including the Puchacz.
I tested the Perkoz in all flight configurations, and also in basic aerobatics, for which it is approved in the cross-country configuration. It surprised me with how it held minimum speed, how quickly it accelerated and how instantly it responded to spin recovery or simulated stalls in turns. What pleased me most, however, was that unlike the Puchacz, the Perkoz was far more „forgiving” on landing – a good sign for using this glider even for basic training.
Michał’s first flight
After a short landing roll Michał ran up and asked again whether he could fly. My smile dispelled the uncertainty on his face. After a short briefing, still before his SPL licence, he flew the Perkoz and did superbly.
For an instructor this is a special moment – when a new machine stops being a „test example” and starts doing real work in training.
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text: Leszek Wlazło
editing: Łukasz Machowczyk