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PZL-130 (Orlik)

1994 MODERN AIRCRAFT

History

At the end of the Cold War (1947-1991), the Eastern bloc country Poland wanted to overhaul and modernize its aviation capabilities. This led to "System 130" being part of a new program to provide incoming pilots with a basic and advanced training platform.

This product is mainly from Poland and requires the aircraft itself, ground simulators for classroom training, and general long-term system/project support.

In 1983, a design team led by Andrej Frydrychewicz developed plans for this aircraft, resulting in the realization of the PZL-130 "Orlik". In its earliest form, the aircraft was powered by a Vedneyev radial engine driving a multi-blade propeller assembly. With this device, the aircraft made its maiden flight on October 24, 1984. During development, however, it became apparent that supplying these engines was difficult, which prompted the team to design the aircraft using Kalisz KS-8A-units originating in Poland.

During its first test flight in 1988, a pre-production form matching the engine was produced, but the model proved to be underpowered, so much so that the team looked for another replacement.

Over time, Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) PT6 series turboprops were installed on the aircraft, finally solving the power and performance issues. The first flight of this form was recorded on July 13, 1986, and led to the establishment of the name "Turbo Orlik".

All other features of this aircraft correspond to those of the basic premium trainer of the time: the double seats are arranged one after the other, and the rear cockpit is only slightly higher than the front cockpit. The crew sat amidships with the engine in the nose. The tail consists of a vertical tail with a low horizontal plane. The main aircraft element of the wing is straight, the tip is clipped off, but exhibits a pronounced dihedron (angled upwards).

The main aircraft is mounted on the underside of the fuselage. A retractable wheeled tricycle landing gear is installed for ground work.

In size, the aircraft has a barrel length of 30.5 feet, a wingspan of 32.9 feet, and a height of 11.6 feet. The curb weight is 4,023 pounds and the MTOW is 6,505 pounds.

Power comes from a PWC PT6A series turboprop engine, rated at approximately 750 hp, which drives a multi-bladed propeller unit on the nose (modern products show a five-bladed propeller unit). In terms of performance, the plane is expected to reach speeds of 340 mph (cruising speed of about 300 mph), a range of up to 1,400 miles, and a range of up to 33,000 feet.

Climb rate limited to 2,830 feet per minute (PZL-130TC II). Six Hardpoints were rated as top ?1,500 deals (combined rating).

Variants of the series started with the original PZL-130 with M14Pm radial engine. This was followed by the PZL-130T "Turbo Orlik" with the PT6A-25P, resulting in the PZL-130TM with the Walter M601E engine and the PZL-130TB with the Walter M601T engine - both turboprops. The PZL-130TC features a Martin-Baker Mk. 11 "Zero Zero" ejection seat for improved survivability, as well as modern avionics.

The PZL-130TC II (Garmin) followed, which went back to the PT6A series (PT6A-25C) engines, added winglets to the main aircraft crew, and was equipped with modern Garmin avionics. The PZL-130TC II (GC) introduces an all-glass cockpit to better mimic modern military aircraft, including a head-up display (HUD) that displays relevant operational and mission information directly in front of the pilot/instructor.

PZL identifies this product as "Orlik MPT" ("Multi-Purpose Trainer").

The Polish Air Force remains the sole global operator of Orlik. The Navy service used the same aircraft for a while. The Luftwaffe took over the series in 1994 and reached a total of 59 with nine prototypes.