Samolot
Samolot was a Polish aircraft manufacturer active in Poznań from 1924 to 1930.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Samolot, formally Wielkopolska Wytwórnia Samolotów Samolot S.A., was a Polish aircraft manufacturer established in Poznań during the development of Poland's interwar aviation industry. The company was created on 11 August 1923, and its factory began operating on 24 April 1924 at Ławica airfield. Its name, “samolot,” is the ordinary Polish word for “airplane.” The company initially served the Polish Air Force by manufacturing licensed versions of French training aircraft. Its first major programs were the Hanriot H.28 and Hanriot HD.19. Samolot built 144 H.28 aircraft in 1925–1926 and 80 HD.19 aircraft between 1925 and 1928, with the latter produced in Poland under the designation H-19. It also developed the H.28S air-ambulance variant, of which 16 were constructed during 1927–1928. These programs gave the factory experience in aircraft production while supporting Poland's need for domestic military training and utility aircraft. Samolot subsequently expanded from licensed production into original design. In 1925 it constructed the SP-I sports aircraft, although only one example was built. From 1926, designer Ryszard Bartel led the company's design bureau and developed a sequence of training aircraft for the Polish Air Force. The single Bartel BM-2 was followed by 22 Bartel BM-4 aircraft in 1928. The BM-4 was historically significant as the first aircraft of Polish design to enter series production. Samolot then built 60 Bartel BM-5 trainers in 1928–1929. The Bartel BM-6, a trainer-fighter design, flew in 1930 but remained a prototype. The factory also provided facilities for experimental aviation projects by other designers. Several sports-aircraft prototypes, including the HL-2, MN-3, MN-5 and O-2, were constructed there without entering series production. Gliders were also produced or assembled in connection with the factory's broader aviation activities. In addition to aircraft, Samolot diversified into road-vehicle bodywork from 1927, manufacturing bodies on imported chassis. Its automotive work included buses, Ford A30 cars and luxury vehicles. The company's development was constrained by limited orders and a serious factory fire on 12 September 1929. These difficulties contributed to liquidation in 1930, ending Samolot's independent operations after only several years of aircraft production. Its machinery was acquired by Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze, commonly known as PZL. The Bartel BM-4 program was also taken over by Państwowa Wytwórnia Samolotów, or PWS. Samolot therefore occupies a transitional place in Polish aviation history: it began as a licensed producer for the national air force, progressed toward indigenous aircraft design, and helped establish series production of a Polish-designed aircraft before its closure.
History
Samolot emerged in the first years of the Second Polish Republic, when the new state was building domestic industrial capabilities for military aviation. The company was established in Poznań on 11 August 1923 under the formal name Wielkopolska Wytwórnia Samolotów Samolot S.A. Its manufacturing site was opened on 24 April 1924 at Ławica airfield, an important aviation location in the Poznań area. The factory's initial role was primarily that of a licensed producer. Poland required substantial numbers of basic aircraft for military training, but its domestic aircraft-design and manufacturing base was still developing. Samolot therefore manufactured French Hanriot designs for the Polish Air Force. Between 1925 and 1926 it produced 144 Hanriot H.28 trainers. It also built 80 Hanriot HD.19 aircraft between 1925 and 1928; these were designated H-19 in Polish production. The company adapted the H.28 into the H.28S air-ambulance version, producing 16 examples in 1927 and 1928. These projects provided practical experience in production, maintenance and adaptation of aircraft types for Polish service requirements. Samolot began pursuing original designs in 1925 with the SP-I sports aircraft, of which one aircraft was built. A more important design phase began in 1926, when Ryszard Bartel led the company's construction bureau. Bartel concentrated on trainer aircraft suitable for the Polish Air Force. His first Samolot project, the BM-2, remained a single aircraft, but the follow-on BM-4 entered series manufacture. Twenty-two BM-4 aircraft were built in 1928, making it the first Polish-designed aircraft to be produced in a series. The BM-5 followed, with 60 trainers constructed in 1928–1929. These aircraft represented a shift from dependence on licensed foreign designs toward a Polish design capability. Samolot's facilities were also used for a range of experimental projects beyond the main Bartel program. Sports-aircraft prototypes identified as HL-2, MN-3, MN-5 and O-2 were built at the factory, although none became a series product. Glider activity formed another part of the plant's work. The company was not limited to aviation: beginning in 1927, it produced vehicle bodies on imported chassis, including bus bodies, bodies for Ford A30 cars and bodies for luxury vehicles. This diversification broadened the factory's manufacturing activities but did not resolve its dependence on orders and the uncertain economics of the interwar aviation sector. The factory suffered serious damage in a fire on 12 September 1929. At the same time, the company faced a shortage of orders. These pressures led to liquidation in 1930. The closure ended Samolot as an independent manufacturer, but its industrial assets and design work continued elsewhere. PZL purchased the company's machinery, and the development of the Bartel BM-4 was taken over by PWS. Samolot's short existence nonetheless contributed to the institutional development of Polish aviation by producing licensed military aircraft, supporting experimental designers and manufacturing the first series-produced aircraft of Polish design.
- 1930
Samolot liquidated
[1]Samolot was liquidated after the fire and a lack of orders. PZL acquired its machinery and PWS took over BM-4 development.
- 1929
Factory damaged by fire
[1]A fire on 12 September 1929 caused substantial damage to the factory and contributed to the company's subsequent liquidation.
- 1928
Bartel BM-4 enters series production
[1]Samolot built 22 BM-4 trainers, the first Polish-designed aircraft produced in series.
- 1928
Bartel BM-5 production begins
[1]The company produced the first aircraft in a 60-unit series of Bartel BM-5 trainers during 1928–1929.
- 1926
Ryszard Bartel leads the design bureau
[1]Ryszard Bartel took charge of Samolot's construction bureau and initiated a major program of Polish-designed trainer aircraft.
- 1925
Licensed Hanriot production begins
[1]Samolot began producing Hanriot H.28 and HD.19 aircraft for the Polish Air Force and developed the single SP-I sports aircraft.
- 1924
Ławica factory opened
[1]The company's factory began operating at Ławica airfield in Poznań on 24 April 1924.
- 1923
Company established in Poznań
[1]Wielkopolska Wytwórnia Samolotów Samolot S.A. was created on 11 August 1923.
Products and positioning
An interwar Polish aircraft producer combining licensed manufacture for the Polish Air Force with the development of domestically designed trainers and experimental aircraft.
Licensed military trainer aircraft · 1925
Hanriot H.28
A French trainer aircraft manufactured under licence for the Polish Air Force. Samolot produced 144 examples during 1925–1926, making it one of the company's first substantial production programs.
Licensed military trainer aircraft · 1925
Hanriot HD.19 / H-19
A French-designed training aircraft built by Samolot for Polish military aviation under the local H-19 designation. Eighty aircraft were produced between 1925 and 1928.
Air-ambulance aircraft · 1927
H.28S
An air-ambulance adaptation of the Hanriot H.28 developed by Samolot for medical evacuation and utility use. Sixteen examples were built from 1927 to 1928.
Military trainer aircraft · 1928
Bartel BM-4
The BM-4 was one of Ryszard Bartel's indigenous trainer designs and Samolot's most historically important aircraft. Twenty-two were built in 1928, making it the first Polish-designed aircraft to enter series production.
Military trainer aircraft · 1928
Bartel BM-5
A later Bartel trainer developed for Polish military aviation. Samolot constructed 60 examples during 1928–1929, making the BM-5 the company's largest series of an original Polish design.
Trainer-fighter prototype · 1930
Bartel BM-6
Samolot's final Bartel design was a trainer-fighter. It flew in 1930 but remained a prototype and did not enter series production.
Sports aircraft · 1925
SP-I
Samolot's own 1925 sports-aircraft design. Only one example was built, so it remained an experimental and non-series product.
Vehicle body manufacturing · 1927
Automotive bodies
From 1927, Samolot diversified into bodies mounted on imported chassis. Its automotive work included buses, Ford A30 cars and luxury vehicles.
Brand decisions
1930
Liquidation and transfer of assetsOtherBackground
A factory fire in September 1929 and a lack of orders undermined Samolot's ability to continue independently.
Action taken
The company was liquidated; PZL acquired its machinery and PWS took over development of the Bartel BM-4.
Aftermath
Samolot ceased to exist as an independent aircraft manufacturer in 1930, while parts of its industrial and design legacy continued through other Polish aviation organizations.
1927
Diversification into automotive bodyworkStrategyBackground
Alongside aircraft manufacture, Samolot sought additional industrial work during the late 1920s.
Action taken
The factory began producing bodies for buses, Ford A30 cars and luxury vehicles on imported chassis.
Aftermath
The diversification was part of the company's broader manufacturing activity, but Samolot was later liquidated after fire damage and insufficient orders.
Sources3 sources
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