PZL-130 Orlik

The PZL 130 Orlik (Eaglet) is a Polish turboprop, single engine, two seat trainer.

Development and design
The Orlik was designed by PZL Warszawa-Okecie as a trainer for the Polish Air Force, intended as a replacement for its PZL-110 Kolibers. It was also designed to meet the American FAR 23 standard. The project was under the supervision of Andrzej Frydrychewicz, head engineer of PZL Warszawa-Okecie. It was fitted with a low-aspect ratio wing to better simulate the handling characteristics of jet fighters. The aircraft was designed to be powered by a Soviet-designed and built Vedeneyev M14Pm radial engine with the intention of replacing it by a modified Polish built Ivchenko AI-14 engine in production aircraft. The first prototype Orlik flew on 12 October 1984, with a second prototype following in December and a third in January 1985.

While the Polish Air Force planned to power its Orliks with locally produced radial engines, PZL planned a turboprop powered version, the PZL-130T Turbo Orlik for export purposes. The third prototype was therefore re-fitted with a 410 kW (550 shp) Pratt & Whitney PT6A-25P turboprop, flying in this form on 13 July 1986, but was destroyed in a crash in January 1987 while being demonstrated to a representative of the Colombian Air Force. Two further turboprop prototypes followed in 1989 and 1990, powered by a Czech-built 560 kW (750 shp) Walter M-601E and a PT6A-25 as the PZL-130TB and PZL-130TP respectively.

In 1990, development of the piston-engined Orlik was abandoned, as the Polish built radial engines gave insufficient power, with Polish interest switching to the M-601 powered PZL-130TB.

Operational history
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.

Variants



 * PZL-130 Orlik
 * The original aircraft with one Vedeneyev M14Pm piston engine


 * PZL-130T Turbo Orlik
 * Variant with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25P turboprop engine


 * PZL-130TM Orlik
 * Variant with a Walter M601E turboprop engine


 * PZL-130TB Orlik
 * Variant with a Walter M601T turboprop engine


 * PZL-130TC I Orlik
 * Variant with added Martin-Baker Mk.11, zero-zero class ejection seats and modernized avionics


 * PZL-130TC II Orlik
 * Variant with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25C turboprop, added winglets, modernized avionics and changed tutor's seat position


 * PZL-130TC III Orlik
 * Variant with modernized avionics (for example: added Head-Up Display)

Operators

 * Polish Air Force
 * Polish Navy - Former operator.
 * Polish Navy - Former operator.