PZL-104 Wilga

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PZL-104 Wilga (Oriole) is a Polish short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) utility aircraft designed and built by PZL "Warszawa-Okęcie"; in one version or another, the Wilga has been in continuous production from 1962 to the present.

Contents 1 Development 1.1 Variants 2 Military Operators 3 Description 3.1 Specifications (Wilga 35) 4 Related content

[edit] Development

The PZL-104 was designed mainly for use in sport aviation, especially for glider-towing and parachute training. The prototype of the initial Wilga 1 variant was first flown on April 24, 1962. It used a Polish flat engine PZL WN-6RB 143 kW (195 HP). The Wilga 1 revealed numerous faults, the most serious of which was that it was too heavy. As a result, the plane was thorougly redesigned by a team led by Bronisław Żurakowski and Andrzej Frydrychewicz, retaining only the general composition and part of wings in common with the initial design. A completely new slimmer, strengthened fuselage was provided, which offers an excellent view for the crew.

The new variant, PZL-104 Wilga 2, flew first on August 1, 1963. A short production run followed, and many were later converted to the Wilga C and Wilga 3 configurations. On December 30, 1963 the Wilga C (or Wilga 2C), an export variant for Indonesia, was flown, powered by an imported flat engine Continental. While the Wilga 2 airframe proved a successful design, the WN-6 engine was not fully reliable and caused problems. As a result, it was decided to use a radial engine, the Ivchenko AI-14R; this led to the PZL-104 Wilga 3 variant, which first flew on December 31, 1965. The new engine was more powerful, but it spoilt the previously clean and slim fuselage lines; nonetheless, the new variant was successful. After producing 13 Wilga 3's (including 2 converted Wilga 2's), there were some improvements made, most notably a landing gear base increased from 2.12 m to 2.83 m. An improved model, designated PZL-104 Wilga 35, first flew on June 29, 1967, then it entered serial production.

[edit] Variants

• Wilga 2 - first production variant with WN-6 flat engine (small series, converted to Wilga C and 3).
• Wilga C (2C) - Wilga 2 with Continental O-470 engine for Indonesia (16 made in Poland, some of them assembled in Indonesia) .
• Wilga 3 - modified serial variant with AI-14 radial engine (13 made).
• Wilga 32 - Wilga 3 with Continental O-470 engine for Indonesia (6 made in Poland, 18 in Indonesia under a name Gelatik).
• Wilga 35 - basic variant with AI-14 engine.
  • Wilga 35A - basic variant for sport aviation, with glider towing hook, produced from 1968.
  • Wilga 35H - a floatplane, flown October 30, 1979 (export variant built in cooperation with Canada).
  • Wilga 35P - military liaison variant (without towing hook), flown in 1968.
  • Wilga 35R - agricultural aircraft of 1978, with 300 l of chemicals.
  • Wilga 35S - air ambulance of 1968, 1 made.
• Wilga 40 - variant with modified elevators flown in 1969, 2 prototypes.
• Wilga 80 - Wilga 35 modified in accordance with FAR regulations for US market, of 1979, powered by PZL AI-14RA engine.
  • Wilga 80/1400 (80H) - a floatplane of 1982, powered by PZL AI-14RD (206 kW /280 HP) (export variant built in cooperation with Canada).
• Wilga 88 - a development of Wilga in the 1980s, that led to PZL-105 Flaming.

• Wilga 2000.
  • PZL-104M Wilga 2000 - variant with Lycoming flat engine, modified wings and improved aerodynamics, produced from 1998.
  • PZL-104MW Wilga 2000 Hydro - floatplane variant of Wilga 2000, flown on September 19, 1999.
  • PZL-104MA Wilga 2000 - last variant of Wilga 2000 made in 2005, with improved aerodynamics and winglets. Lycoming I0-540 300 hp engine. Currently in production.

Over 1000 of all types of the Wilga have been built, including 935 of the Wilga 35 and 80, which made it the most numerous-built plane of Polish design. In Poland, they are mostly used in aeroclubs for touring aviation, glider towing and parachute training. Polish pilots flying Wilgas have won numerous prizes in the FAI World Rally Flying and Precision Flying Championships.

Apart from Poland, Wilgas were used in the USSR, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Egypt, Spain, Yugoslavia, Canada, Cuba, Indonesia, Mongolia, Romania, Swiss, Turkey, USA, Venezuela, Hungary, and the United Kingdom.

[edit] Military Operators

• Indonesia
• Poland
• Lithuania

[edit] Description

Metal construction high-wing utility plane, conventional in layout, metal covered. Semi-monococque fuselage. Rectangular single-spar wings, fitted with slotted flaps and slats. Four seat cabin, with large side doors, opened upwards. Conventional fixed landing gear with tail wheel. Two-blade wooden propeller. Two fuel tanks in wings (195 l).

[edit] Specifications (Wilga 35)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1: pilot
• Capacity: 3
• Length: 11,12 m ()
• Wingspan: 8.10 m ()
• Height: 2,94 m ()
• Wing area: 15.50 m² ()
• Empty weight: 900 kg ()
• Loaded weight: 1300 kg ()
• Powerplant: 1× Ivchenko AI-14R / RA air-cooled radial engine piston, 191 kW (260 HP)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 200 km/h
• Range: 680 km ()
• Service ceiling: 4000 m ()
• Rate of climb: 5 m/s ()

[edit] Related content

Related development

PZL-105 Koliber

Comparable aircraft

SAAB MFI-15 - Aero L-60 Brigadyr

Designation sequence

PZL-101 - PZL-102 - PZL-104 - PZL-105 - PZL-106