PZL M26 Iskierka

M26 Iskierka
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Role	Trainer aircraft
Manufacturer	PZL Mielec
First flight	July 15, 1986
Status	in production
Primary users	US civilian aviation Poland Venezuela
Number built	14

PZL M26 Iskierka (English: Little Spark) or M26 Airwolf is a Polish trainer and aerobatic aircraft, designed at WSK PZL-Mielec (later PZL Mielec).

Design and development

The M26 Iskierka was conceived as an economical plane for civilian pilot training and primary selection of military pilots. It offers training in both VFR and IFR flying and aerobatics. Its construction is partly based upon the twin-engine PZL M-20 Mewa utility plane (Piper Seneca II, built under licence in WSK-Mielec). It shares the vertical stabilizer, rudder and main landing gear with the Mewa, while the wings and tail part of fuselage are unified to some degree. The plane is constructed according to FAR-23 rules. The main designer was Krzysztof Piwek.

The first prototype M26-00, powered by a PZL-Franklin 6A-350C1 (150 kW) engine flew first on July 15, 1986 (registration SP-PIA). The second prototype M26-01 variant, powered by a Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5D (220 kW) engine flew on June 24, 1987 (registration SP-DIB, earlier SP-PIB). The plane was tested in a military aviation school in Dęblin in 1992.

Only a short series of 14 aircraft have been manufactured, of which four remain in Poland. The plane is still offered by the PZL Mielec and is certified in the USA, Australia and Europe (EASA). In the USA it is offered under the name Airwolf or Air Wolf, and 8 were exported there, starting from 1996. In 1998 two were delivered to the Venezuelan National Guard. There are plans to fit a Walter M601 turboprop engine, for eventual customers' demand.

Description

Metal construction low-wing monoplane, conventional in layout, metal covered. Semi-monocoque fuselage. Rectangular single-spar wings. Crew of two, sitting in tandem, under a common canopy, with double controls (student in front, instructor in rear). The rear seat is raised. The canopy is dropped in emergency. Retractable tricycle landing gear. Three-blade propeller (1.9 m diameter). Fuel tanks in wings (377 l). The plane may be fitted with a camera gun and racks for two small bombs.

Operators

• Poland
• United States
• Venezuela

Specifications (M26)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993-94

General characteristics

• Crew: two pilots (instructor, student)
• Length: 8.30 m (27 ft 2¾ in)
• Wingspan: 8.60 m (28 ft 2½ in)
• Height: 2.96 m (9 ft 8½ in)
• Wing area: 14.00 m² (150.7 ft²)
• Empty weight: 940 kg (2,072 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 1,400 kg (3,086 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5D air-cooled flat-six piston engine, 300 hp (224 kW)

Performance

• Never exceed speed: 400 km/h (215 knots, 248 mph)
• Maximum speed: 330 km/h (178 knots, 205 mph) at sea level
• Stall speed: 110 km/h (60 knots, 69 mph)
• Range: 1,620 km (874 nmi, 1066 mi)
• Rate of climb: 7.0 m/s (1,378 ft/min)

See also

Related development

• PZL M-20 Mewa
• Piper PA-34 Seneca

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Aermacchi SF.260
• Aérospatiale Epsilon
• Utva Lasta
• T-35 Pillán

References

• Krzysztof Piwek, Wiesław Tomecki: Samolot M26 Iskierka in: Polska Technika Lotnicza - Materiały Historyczne 10(3/2005) - a lecture given on 19-2-2005 in Muzeum Techniki, Warsaw (Polish)
• Lambert, Mark (ed.) Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993-94. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0-7106-1066-1.

External links

• PZL Mielec page