The PZL Krosno KR-03 Puchatek is a Polish mid-wing, T-tailed, two-seats-in- tandem,

glider Glider may refer to: Aircraft and transport Aircraft * Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight ** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...

that was designed by Jerzy Krawczyk and Eugeniusz Pelczar and produced by PZL Krosno, first flying in 1985.

Design and development

The KR-03 was designed as an ab initio

training glider Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. It ...

. The name ''Puchatek'' is Polish translation of

Pooh Bear Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear and Pooh, is a fictional Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. The first collection of stories about the character w ...

. The aircraft is made from aluminium with some parts covered in doped

aircraft fabric covering Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as ar ...

. Its span wing employs a Wortmann FX S-02-158

airfoil An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is the cross-sectional shape of an object whose motion through a gas is capable of generating significant lift, such as a wing, a sail, or the blades of propeller, rotor, or turbine. ...

. The wing features top and bottom

Schempp-Hirth Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH is a glider manufacturer based in Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany. History Martin Schempp founded his own company in Göppingen in 1935, with the assistance of Wolf Hirth. The company was initially called "Sportfl ...

-style dive brakes. The landing gear consists of an oleo-pneumatic sprung, non-retractable main wheel, a tail wheel and a rubber sprung nose skid. The Puchatek has a baggage compartment with a capacity of for soft baggage items. The aircraft was type certified in the United States on 6 August 1991, with Barry Aviation of Edgewater, Volusia County, Florida as the US certificate holder.

Operational history

In 1993, a few examples were put into service with the

Australian Air Force Cadets The Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC), known as the ''Air Training Corps (AIRTC)'' until 2001, is a Federal Government funded youth organisation. The parent force of the AAFC is the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Along with the Australian ...

(AAFC), totalling to three as of 2012. They are currently assigned to 2 Wing AAFC. They are still in service as of 2014. As of August 2011 there were 16 KR-03As registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration and in August 2022 there were 10 KR-03As registered.

Variants

;KR-03A :Main production version.

Specifications (KR-03A)

References

External links