# Identify this aircraft **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-aircraft/494349 "2009-04-25T21:55:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-aircraft/494349/1 "2009-04-25T21:55:05Z")
I _know_ I know what this is, but it’s not coming to me right now. [Please identify this aircraft](http://www.flickr.com/photos/27492458@N05/3473802027/). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-aircraft/494349/2 "2009-04-25T21:57:02Z")
:smack: Never mind. It’s a Schweizer SA 2-37B. (Added description already.) ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-aircraft/494349/3 "2009-04-26T02:56:37Z")
Nice 6-bladed prop. I wonder why the tires are flat? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-aircraft/494349/4 "2009-04-26T03:27:02Z")
It’s more than the tires. The aileron fabric was pretty much rotted off on the port one, and holed in several places on the starboard one. The tail surfaces were covered with guano. So were a couple of prop blades. I hate seeing derelict aircraft, especially when they’re unusual. Speaking of unusual, there was a [PZL-104 Wilga](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL-104) parked in the non-airshow area. It had one flat tire and one low one. What pegged my irony meter though, was that it was painted in WWII Luftwaffe livery. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-aircraft/494349/5 "2009-04-26T04:02:37Z")
You should visit the Oshkosh airshow sometime. I’m thinking I’m gonna go this year as I have a new camera to play with. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-aircraft/494349/6 "2009-04-26T09:55:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Speaking of unusual, there was a [PZL-104 Wilga](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL-104) parked in the non-airshow area. It had one flat tire and one low one. What pegged my irony meter though, was that it was painted in WWII Luftwaffe livery. :smack: I used to know a bloke who owned one of those, unfortunately he wrapped it into a ball on landing and suffered severe head injuries. Interesting machine though. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-aircraft/494349/7 "2009-04-26T14:03:40Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Speaking of unusual, there was a [PZL-104 Wilga](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL-104) parked in the non-airshow area. It had one flat tire and one low one. What pegged my irony meter though, was that it was painted in WWII Luftwaffe livery. :smack: It bears a passing resemblance to the [Fieseler Fi 156](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieseler_Fi_156), maybe that’s the look he was after. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-aircraft/494349/8 "2009-04-26T14:40:22Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Speaking of unusual, there was a [PZL-104 Wilga](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL-104) parked in the non-airshow area. They’re unusual in the US, but in Europe - especially in the east - they are common as muck. I’ve seen 20 or more performing as towplanes at large glider competitions. There exists a photo of a Wilga towing two others (the towed Wilgas had their propellers removed and a strong wire attached to the prop hub). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-aircraft/494349/9 "2009-04-26T17:14:21Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > It bears a passing resemblance to the [Fieseler Fi 156](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieseler_Fi_156), maybe that’s the look he was after. That’s precisely what I thought. Still, Luftwaffe markings on a Polish airplane just seem… wrong. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-aircraft/494349/10 "2009-04-26T23:52:59Z")
I’ve seen a Wilga up close a few times (there’s one based at Auburn-Lewiston, Maine). It’s certainly a serious candidate for World’s Ugliest Airplane. The Storch has some grace to it, IMHO.