Location:
Province: Podkarpackie
County: Mielecki
Commune: Radomyśl Wielki
Distance from Tarnów: 30 km
Driving directions from: Tarnów – Lisia Góra (National road No. 73, towards Kielce) – Radomyśl Wielki (National road No. 984, towards Mielec)
On the market square in Radomyśl Wielki, by the road from Tarnów to Mielec, on a socle stands an M-2 plane. It is the prototype worked up and built in 1956 in PZL-WSK factory in Mielec. M-2 was a project developed by the first post-war graduates of Aviation Department of the Warsaw Institute of Technology, supervised by engineer Stanisław Jarycha. Nowadays only two M-2 plane remained. The second one is exposed in Aviation Museum in Cracow.
The M-2 SP-PBA was developed for training pilots in civil aero clubs but Russians supervising the company considered it dangerously good and killed the project. Complete documentation was sent to USSR. Official statement issued later pointed engine failure as a reason for not allowing mass-production of the plane.
On 14 September 1998 (80th anniversary of Polish Air force) the plane was turned into a monument of Polish Air Force Pilots Fighting in the West who were born in Radomyśl region. Local association put an obelisk right next to the plane, with two plaques with inscriptions:
Plaque no. 1
In the memory of heroic Pilots
from Polish Air Forces fighting in the West
who were born in Radomyśl region
Gen. pilot Bolesław Stachoń – D.B. 301
Lt. pilot Henryk Mermel – D.M. 303
Lieutenant colonel pilot Henryk Trybulec – D.M. 302
Plaque no. 2
Unique sport airplane M-2 produced in 1956
In PZL – WSK aircraft manufacturer in Mielec
Designed by Polish constructors
Under the supervision of engineer Stanisław Jarycha
Lieutenant pilot Henryk Mermel, who fought in a Battle of Britain in a famous 303 Unit, unveiled one of the first of monuments of Polish Air Force Pilots Fighting in the West in Poland.
More information at: www.radomyslwielki.pl (Polish only)
- Latitude : 50.196051
- Longitude : 21.276677