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PZL M28 Skytruck

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PZL M28
Skytruck / Bryza
Role STOL transport and patrol aircraft
Manufacturer PZL Mielec
Design group Antonov/PZL Mielec
First flight 22 July 1984 (PZL An-28)
24 July 1993 (PZL M28 Skytruck)
Status In production, In active service
Primary users Polish Air Force
Polish Navy
Venezuelan Army
United States Air Force
Produced 1984-1993 (PZL An-28)
1993- (PZL M28 Skytruck)
Number built 176+ (including PZL An-28)
Developed from Antonov An-28

The PZL M28 Skytruck is a Polish STOL light cargo and passenger plane, produced by PZL Mielec, as a development of license-built Antonov An-28s. Early licence-built planes were designated PZL An-28. The maritime patrol and reconnaissance variants are named PZL M28B Bryza ("sea breeze").

Development

The Antonov An-28 was the winner of a competition against the Beriev Be-30 for a new light passenger and utility transport for Aeroflot's short haul routes, conceived to replace the highly successful An-2 biplane. The An-28 is derived from the earlier An-14. Commonalities with the An-14 include a high wing layout, twin fins and rudders, but it differs in having a reworked and longer fuselage, with turboprop engines. The original powerplant was the TVD-850, but production versions are powered by the more powerful TVD-10B, with three-blade propellers.

The An-28 made its first flight as the An-14M in September 1969 in USSR. A subsequent preproduction aircraft first flew in April 1975. Production of the An-28 was then transferred to Poland's PZL Mielec in 1978, although it was not until 22 July 1984 that the first Polish-built production aircraft flew. The An-28's Soviet type certificate was awarded in April 1986.

PZL Mielec has become the sole source for production An-28s. The basic variant, not differing from the Soviet one, was designated PZL An-28 and was powered with PZL-10S (licence-built TVD-10B) engines. They were built mostly for the USSR, until it broke up. The plane was next developed by the PZL Mielec into a westernised version powered by 820 kW (1100shp) Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65B turboprops with five-blade Hartzell propellers, plus some western (BendixKing) avionics (a distinguishing feature are exhaust pipes, sticking out on sides of engine nacelles). Designated the PZL M28 Skytruck, first flight was on 24 July 1993 and it is in limited production, mostly for export (39 produced by 2006). The type received Polish certification in March 1996, and US FAR Part 23 certificate on 19 March 2004.

Apart from the Skytruck, PZL Mielec developed a family of militarized light transport and maritime reconnaissance planes for the Polish Air Force and Polish Navy in the 1990s, with original PZL-10S engines, named PZL M28B in the Air Force and Bryza in the Navy. From 2000, newly produced M28Bs started to be equipped with five-blade propellers as well.

PZL Mielec was bought by Sikorsky in 2007. Purchased primarily to produce helicopter structures, the company also produces 10 M28s per year.[1] Sikorsky's current owner, Lockheed Martin, has marketed it to the governments of Indonesia, Jordan, Poland, Venezuela, Vietnam, the U.S. and commercial operators. Split equally between commercial and military applications, it competes with the Viking Air Twin Otter, the Let 410 and the Dornier 228.[1]

Design

Strutted high-wing, twin vertical fins and tricycle landing gear

The M28 is a twin-engined high-wing strutted monoplane with an all-metal airframe, twin vertical fins and a tricycle fixed landing gear. If an engine fails, a spoiler forward of the aileron opens automatically on the opposite wing.[2] This limits the wing drop to 12° in five seconds instead of 30°.[3]

It is capable of Short takeoff & landing (STOL) and hot and high altitude operations.[1] Aerodynamically deployed leading edge slats when approaching stall speed enable a 64 kn (119 km/h) low stall speed and while the certification landing field is 1,640 ft (500 m), PZL has demonstrated landing in 512 ft (156 m).[1] Inlet air ducts inertial separators and inverted configuration of the PT6 and the high wing configuration protect the engines and propellers against foreign object damage for unprepared runways operations.

Multiple configurations are available: a 19-passenger airliner with 2-1 seating and an underbelly luggage pod; a cargo aircraft with a 1,540 lb (700 kg) hand-cranked hoist option; the most common combi; a VIP transport; a medevac for six litters and seven seats; a search-and-rescue version; a 17-seat paratrooper drop version; an 18-passenger utility cabin and an aerial firefighting version is considered.[1] Two people can switch between passenger and cargo configurations in 7 min.[1] Its inward opening rear doors allow for cargo drops and utility operations as well as the passenger boarding.[1]

It can take off in 1,800 ft (550 m) at the 16,534 lb (7,500 kg) MTOW.[1] Maximum payload is 5,070 lb (2,300 kg), it can carry 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) over 100 nmi (190 km) or 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) with full fuel over 700 nmi (1,300 km).[1]

Operational history

176 An-28s and M28s in all variants were built in Poland by 2006. Most numerous users are former Soviet civil aviation and the Polish Air Force and Navy (about 25 as of 2006), smaller numbers are used by the Polish civil aviation and in the United States, Nepal, Colombia, Venezuela, Vietnam and Indonesia.

On 4 November 2005, a Vietnamese Airforce M28 crashed in Gia Lam district, Hanoi. All three crewmembers were killed.[4]

On 12 February 2009, The weekly periodical Air Force Times reported that the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) would receive 10 PZL M28 Skytrucks in June 2009.[5] These aircraft carry the U.S. Air Force model design series (MDS) designation of C-145A Skytruck. In 2011 one aircraft crash landed in Afghanistan and was damaged beyond repair.[6]

Variants

PZL M28B Bryza 1R in a commemorative livery
M28 Bryza at Okęcie airfield

Airframe Variants

PZL An-28
Original variant build under Antonov licence, with PZL-10S (licence TV-10B) engines.
PZL M28 Skytruck
Development variant with redesigned fuselage and wings, new Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, new (western) avionics, 5-blade rotors, and some other minor changes.
PZL M28B Bryza
Militarized variants used by Polish Air Force and Polish Navy, similar to Skytruck, but with PZL-10S engines.
PZL M28+ Skytruck Plus
Prototype of new lengthened variant with more internal space, not in production.
C-145A[7]
Variant flown by USAF Special Operations Warfare Center. Similar to Skytruck, but with Pratt and Whitney PT6A-65B Turboprops. The USAF has started retiring the aircraft, with the first aircraft, AF Ser. No. 08-0310, delivered to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona on 28 May 2015. By June 2015 eleven out of 16 aircraft were stored.[8]

Variants in use by Polish Military

PZL An-28TD
Basic transport variant. Used mainly for transport and paratroop training (2 built).
PZL M28B
Several similar improved transport variants featuring avionics and airframe upgrades: Bryza 1TD (2 built), M28B (3 built), M28B Salon (1 built), M28B TDII, TDIII and TDIV (2 built of each).
PZL M28B Bryza 1R
Maritime patrol and reconnaissance variant (equipped with: 360° Search and Surveillance Radar ASR-400, Link-11 datalink). Used mainly for sea border patrolling, search and rescue operations and protection of the national economical sea zone (7 built).
PZL M28B Bryza 1E
Maritime ecological reconnaissance and patrol variant (2 built).
PZL M28B Bryza 1RM bis
Maritime patrol and reconnaissance variant with submarine detection capability, of 2004 (equipped with: 360° Search and Surveillance Radar ARS-800-2, ejection of single-use hydro-acoustic sonobuoys, Thermal Imaging System (FLIR), magnetic anomaly detector, Link-11 datalink). Used mainly for sea border patrolling, search and rescue operations and protection of the national economical sea zone (1 built as of 2006).
PZL M28 05 Skytruck
Maritime patrol and SAR variant for the Polish Border Guard, of 2006 (equipped with Search and Surveillance Radar ARS-400M and FLIR system) (1 built as of 2006).

Operators

PZL M28 operators (civil in pink)

Civil operators

 Guyana
 Indonesia
 United States

Military operators

 Ecuador
 Estonia
 Germany
  • Bundeswehr – 2 leased from private company for use in paratrooper training since 2017[13]
 Jordan
 Nepal
 Poland
 United States
 Venezuela
 Vietnam

Accidents and incidents

  • On 28 October 2010, an Indonesian Police-operated M28 crashed in the Nabire region of the Indonesian state of Papua, killing five people.[17]
  • On 3 December 2016, a PZL Skytruck belonging to the Indonesian National Police crashed into the ocean in Dabo, Riau Islands while carrying 13 people. All 13 people on board were killed in the accident. Eyewitnesses stated that the aircraft had suffered an in-flight failure and claimed that the engine of the plane was emitting black smoke.[18]
  • On 30 May 2017, a PZL Skytruck belonging to the Nepal Army with registration NA-048 crashed at Bajura-based Kolti airport while its pilot was trying to land the aircraft. The cargo airplane was supposed to land on the Simikot airport in Humla district. However, bad weather condition forced the pilot to divert towards Bajura. The pilot of the aircraft died while two others were injured.[19]

Specifications (PZL M28)

Data from Sikorsky[20]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Capacity: 19 passengers (17 paratroopers)
  • Aspect ratio: 12.25
  • Airfoil: TsAGI R-II-14[21]Fuel capacity: 1,766 kg / 3,894 lb, 2,278 l / 602 US Gal
  • Cabin Length × Width × Height: 5.26 × 1.73 × 1.72 m / 17.25 × 5.66 × 5.63 ft

Performance

  • Endurance: 6.2 h (10,000 ft, 45 min reserve)
  • g limits: +3 / -1[21]
  • Take-off: 548 m / 1,800 ft
  • Landing: 499 m / 1,640 ft
  • Fuel Consumption: 268 kg/h / 591 lb/h (10,000 ft)

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i John Croft (11 July 2017). "Sikorsky Seeks Sales For Fixed-Wing PZL M28". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  2. ^ "Flight standardization board report - PZL M28". FAA. 17 May 2006.
  3. ^ Gerard Frawley. The International Directory of Civil Aircraft.
  4. ^ vietbao.vn. "Yêu cầu Bộ Quốc phòng điều tra nguyên nhân vụ rơi máy bay M28".
  5. ^ http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/02/airforce_M28_Skytruck_022309/[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident PZL-Mielec C-145A (M28-05) Skytruck 08-0319 Walan Rabat Landing Zone".
  7. ^ "C-145A > U.S. Air Force > Fact Sheet Display".
  8. ^ "United States Withdrew 2/3 of the Polish M28 Skytruck Aircraft From The Active Service".
  9. ^ Sanchez, Alejandro (19 April 2018). "Ecuadorian Army to receive M28 airlifter". IHS Jane's 360. Washington, DC. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Pablo Segovia Renteria, Antonio (31 August 2018). "Ecuadorian Army receives M28 Skytruck". IHS Jane's 360. Santiago. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Jennings, Gareth (4 February 2019). "Estonia to receive donated C-145As this year". Jane's 360. London. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Jennings, Gareth (19 March 2019). "Estonia receives first of two donated C-145As". Jane's 360. London. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Skytrucki dla Niemiec i Estonii, "Lotnictwo Aviation International" nr 9/2017, p. 8 (in Polish)
  14. ^ "Jordania kolejnym użytkownikiem Skytrucków - DziennikZbrojny.pl".
  15. ^ Jennings, Gareth (4 March 2019). "Nepal to receive M28 tactical airlifters from United States". Jane's 360. London. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ^ "Death toll rises to 5 from Indonesian police plane crash". Xinhua. 28 October 2010. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "Potongan Jasad Korban Ditemukan dan Langsung Dibawa ke RS Bhayangkara Batam". Tribun News. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  19. ^ "Pilot killed, 2 injured as NA cargo airplane crashes in Bajura". myrepublica.com. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  20. ^ "General informations : performance". PZL Mielec M28. Lockheed Martin / Sikorsky. 2017.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Jackson, Paul, MRAeS, ed. (2005). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 2004-05. London: Jane's Publishing Group. pp. 363–364. ISBN 978-0-7106-2614-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  22. ^ "Type certificate data sheet n. A.058" (PDF). EASA. 3 November 2015.
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