BŻ-1 GIL
| BŻ-1 "GIL" | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| BŻ-1 Gil at the Polish Aviation Museum | |
| Role | Helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Główny Instytut Lotnictwa |
| First flight | 4 April 1950 |
| Retired | 1960 |
| Status | Experimental |
| Primary user | Poland |
| Number built | 1 |
The BŻ-1 GIL was the first Polish experimental helicopter, constructed in 1950. Developed by the Main Aviation Institute (Warsaw), the only constructed GIL saw service until 1960 when it was irreparably damaged and subsequently decommissioned. The prototype aircraft currently resides at the Polish Aviation Museum.
The helicopter was designed at the research institute Główny Instytut Lotnictwa - Main Aviation Institute in Warsaw, from an initiative of Zbigniew Brzoska. The Polish aviation industry was destroyed after World War II, and in addition, the principal of the institute Władysław Fiszdon was the only person who had seen a helicopter (Sikorsky R-4 in England).
Despite severe material shortages, work on the experimental design started in 1948, and the main designer became Bronisław Żurakowski (brother of test pilot Janusz Żurakowski), who designed the helicopter rotor and the control system. It used simpler Hiller rotor type, with two auxiliary blades. The structure of the fuselage, tail boom, auxiliary rotor and tricycle undercarriage were designed by Tadeusz Chyliński. The power unit and final drive were designed by Zbigniew Brzoska. The design utilized some components left by the Germans, like a piston engine Hirth HM 504 (re-configured for vertical use), rear gear from a Zündapp motorcycle and wheels from a DFS Kranich glider's jettisonable landing gear.
Initially, the helicopter had no name. It only received the registration letters SP-GIL, from the institute abbreviation, and soon it became known as GIL (gil also means bullfinch in Polish). Later it was also given the designation BŻ-1, from Żurakowski's initials.
The helicopter was completed by the end of 1949. During the first flight trial on 14 January 1950, it was overturned by a wind gust and had to be repaired. The test pilot was Bronisław Żurakowski, who taught himself to fly a helicopter. The helicopter first flew on 4 April 1950, restrained on tethers by two men (Fiszdon and Chyliński) for a measure of safety.
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