PZL |
PZL TS-11 Iskra |
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Photo: Robert
Deering 5/27/2017 Cavanaugh Flight Museum Addison Airport (ADS) Addison, Texas |
The PZL TS-11 Iskra (English: Spark) is a Polish jet trainer aircraft, used by the air forces of Poland and India. It is notable as the main training aircraft of the Polish Air Force, and as the oldest jet aircraft still in service in Poland.In 1964, the TS-11 prototype beat four world records in its class, among others the speed record of 839 km/h (524 mph). The Iskra competed as the standard jet trainer for the Warsaw Pact, but lost out to the Czechoslovak plane Aero L-29 Delfín. Poland became the only Warsaw pact country to use the Iskra. A total of 424 aircraft were built by 1987, when production ceased. A total of 50 aircraft Iskra bis D were exported to India in 1975, then further 26 in the 1990s.
In 2002, Poland still had 110 TS-11s,
including 5 TS-11Rs. The Iskra became Polish
first and only jet trainer so far - the
programme for a successor, the PZL I-22
Iryda (later designated M-93 Iryda), failed
for several reasons and few were built. In
Indian service, Iskra was withdrawn by 16
December 2004. During service, seven were
lost, killing four crew.
In 2013, Poland had 30 (total number of
school aircraft: TS-11, PZL-130) operational
Iskras'
From 1969 TS-11s
have been used by the Polish aerobatics
team, initially called "Rombik", and
currently "Biało-Czerwone Iskry"
("White-and-Red Sparks"). SOURCE: Wikapedia |