In 1960, a design team led by Jerzy Kotliński at the Polish
WSK PZL-Świdnik factory began work on a new short-range light helicopter, which was given the designation SM-4 Łątka. WSK PZL-Świdnik had previously license-built Soviet
Mil Mi-1 helicopters, designated SM-1, starting in 1955. They had also designed and built the PZL SM-2 derivative of the Mi-1; the SM-4 was the first completely original aircraft design to be developed by them. ==Specifications (performance estimated)==