Ardpol 48-017 SZD-36 Cobra 15

SZD-36 Cobra 15 was a Polish, one-seat, sports and performance glider with wooden structure with elements of laminate in the spine configuration. The glider was developed In Szybowcowe Zakłady Doświadczalnych (SZD) with headquarters in Bielsko-Biała. The prototype flight took place in December 1969. Serial production was carried out in the years 1970-1978, and as a result, 290 examples of this glider were created. The curb weight was 275 kilograms.

SZD-36 Cobra 15 was developed as a far-reaching modification of the very successful SZD-32 glider, adapted to high performance flights. The work on the new glider was carried out by a team led by engineers: Okarmus, Meus and Mikuszewski. The changes compared to the original were far-reaching: completely new, trapezoidal wings with a positive slant were used, a new shape of the fuselage and a self-retracting undercarriage were introduced. However, the wooden structure with laminate elements, proven in SZD-32, was preserved, which allowed to accelerate research and development works. Finally, a very successful design was created, which enjoyed a very good reputation among pilots and successfully competed in the Gliding World Championships. The glider was also widely exported.