The **PZL Bielsko SZD-30** is a **Polish sailplane project** from the glider-design lineage associated with **Szybowcowy Zakład Doświadczalny (SZD)** in Bielsko-Biała. It was part of the long series of SZD experimental and production gliders developed in Poland after World War II.

That said, **“SZD-30” is not one of the best-documented or widely produced SZD types**, and information about it is comparatively sparse in common English-language references. What can be said with confidence is mostly about the **context of the designation** and the **design organization**, rather than a rich production history.

## What the designation means
- **PZL**: *Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze* — the Polish state aircraft industry brand.
- **Bielsko**: the city associated with the glider design/manufacturing center.
- **SZD**: *Szybowcowy Zakład Doświadczalny* — the Experimental Glider Works.
- **30**: the project/type number in the SZD sequence.

## General context
SZD in Bielsko produced many famous Polish gliders, including families that became well known internationally. The **SZD-30** fits into this tradition of:
- lightweight sailplane development,
- aerodynamic experimentation,
- wooden construction common to many postwar Polish gliders,
- use in training, club flying, or performance soaring depending on the specific subtype.

## What is known broadly
Because the SZD-30 designation is not among the most famous SZD types, it is often treated as:
- an **experimental design**, or
- a **lesser-known project/prototype**, possibly with limited production or limited surviving documentation.

In practical terms, this means:
- it may not have entered mass production,
- it may have been superseded by a later SZD design,
- and published details such as exact dimensions, performance figures, and variants are not as consistently available as for better-known SZD gliders.

## Likely technical characteristics of SZD-era Polish gliders
If you are looking at the general family of SZD gliders from this era, they often featured:
- **wooden primary structure**
- **fabric covering in non-load-bearing areas**
- **cantilever wings** or semi-cantilever layouts
- **single-seat or two-seat configurations**
- **conventional tailplanes**
- **fixed monowheel undercarriage or skid**
- design emphasis on **good glide performance and benign handling**

But I want to be careful: these are **typical SZD design traits**, not a guarantee that every feature applied to the SZD-30 specifically.

## Documentation caveat
If you need:
- exact **wing span**
- **aspect ratio**
- **wing area**
- **empty/load weights**
- **glide ratio**
- **year first flown**
- **number built**
- **designer name**
- or whether it was a **prototype or production type**

…those details would need to be confirmed from a reliable dedicated source, because I don’t want to invent data where the historical record is unclear.

## Best next step
If you want, I can do one of these:
1. give you a **history of SZD gliders around the SZD-30 era**,
2. help identify whether **“SZD-30” may refer to a specific variant or project name**,
3. compile a **table of Polish SZD sailplanes and their relationship to each other**,
4. or try to provide a **spec-sheet style summary** if you’re okay with a “best available information” approach.

If you want, I can also search my knowledge for **all closely related SZD-30 references and variants** and organize them by confidence level.
