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PZL 130
Orlik (Eaglet) is a Polish turboprop, single engine, two seat trainer.
It was designed in PZL Warszawa-Okecie as a trainer for the Polish Air
Force.
The project was designed under supervision of Andrzej Frydrychewicz,
head engineer of PZL Warszawa-Okecie. The plane was originally designed with the Russian Vedeneyev M-14Pm
piston engine but, since PZL-130 was thought to have some attributes
of a jet plane, it was replaced by a turboprop engine.
The first
prototype Orlik flew October 24 1984. In 1985, while waiting for
supplies of M14Pm powerplants, P.Z.L. re-engined the third prototype
with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25A turboprop and this flew on 13
July 1986, was provisionally certificated in January 1987 but
crashed later the same month. Three more pre-production aircraft
were built, all with different powerplants and ratings. These were
the 560kW Motorlet M601D (P.Z.L. 130TM), the 410kW PT6A-25A (P.Z.L.
130T), and the 708kW PT6A-62 (P.Z.L. 130TP), and all flew in
1989/90. In 1991, following the powerplant tests, the Polish air
force placed an order for 48 P.Z.L. 130TBs powered by the Czech
M601E engine and the first production Turbo-Orlik was delivered at
the end of 1992. Export sales are now being sought for the
PT6A-62-engined P.Z.L. 130TC, the PT6A-25C-equipped P.Z.L. 130TD,
and the PT6A-25A-engined P.Z.L. 130TE 'economy' version, with a
limited equipment fit and minus ejection seats.
Deliveries of PZL-130TBs to the Polish started in 1994, with the
aircraft equipping the Military Pilot Academy at Dęblin and the 60th
Training Air Regiment at Radom. All of Poland's PZL-130TBs were
upgraded to TC-1 standard, with better ejection seats and avionics.
PZL-130 ORLIK Specifications |
Type |
Basic Trainer |
Manufacturer |
Pilatus
Aircraft |
Accommodation |
Two (student and
instructor) |
Armament |
Six hard points for bombs and rockets |
Performance |
Max speed 290 mph (460 km/h) |
Wing Span |
33ft (10m) |
Length |
33ft (10m) |
Height |
10ft 10in (3.3m) |
Weight |
empty weight 3,680lb (1,670kg), max take off
weight 5,900lb(2,500kg) |
Powerplant |
One Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25C, producing
700 shp (522 kW) |
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