PZL-101 Gawron

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PZL-101 Gawron

PZL-101A utility variant in a typical livery
Type	Agricultural and utility aircraft
Manufacturer	WSK-Okęcie
Maiden flight	1958-04-14
Primary user	Polish civilian aviation
Produced	1960-1968
Number built	325

The PZL-101 Gawron (Rook) is a Polish agricultural and utility aircraft designed and built by WSK-Okęcie (later PZL "Warszawa-Okęcie").

1 Design and development
2 Operational history
3 Description
4 Operators
5 Specifications
6 Related content

[edit] Design and development

The PZL-101 was a development of the Yakovlev Yak-12M, manufactured in Poland under licence from 1956. The main goal was to create an agricultural aircraft with increased useful load. Works were carried out by a team led by Stanisław Lassota. Behind two crew seats there was installed a container for 500 kg of chemicals, with a "hump" above fuselage. Because a center of gravity moved rearwards, the plane was fitted with new, swept wings, with significant vertical end plates to improve air flow. Landing gear was also shifted rearwards. An equipment was simplified and lightened to increase useful load more, eg. a right door was removed.

The first prototype flew on April 14, 1958, and the production started in 1960. From 1962 the PZL-101A variant was produced, with improved equipment and a right-side door added. From 1965 a further improved PZL-101B was produced. Visible changes were: lack of "hump" above fuselage and bigger air intake below engine. Apart from agricultural planes, there were made four-seater utility planes and air ambulances. Until production end in 1968, 325 planes were manufactured, including 215 agricultural ones, 78 utility ones and 32 ambulances.

[edit] Operational history

Main user of the PZL-101 was the Polish civilian aviation. An agricultural variant was used in Poland and in services abroad. They were mostly replaced in this role in the 1970s by the PZL-106 Kruk. Utility Gawrons were used in aeroclubs, also for glider towing and parachute training. Some are still used in this role as of 2006.

143 PZL-101's were exported, mainly to Bulgaria and Hungary, in lesser numbers to Austria, Finland, Spain, India, Turkey and possibly some other countries.

[edit] Description

Metal construction braced high-wing monoplane, conventional in layout. Fuselage of steel frame, covered with duralumin (front) and canvas (tail). Two-spar wings, canvas covered, fitted with slotted flaps, slats and vertical edge plates. Two-seat or four-seat cabin. Conventional fixed landing gear with tail wheel. In an agricultural variant there was 800-litre container in a fuselage (for 500 kg of chemicals), behind front seats, with exchangeable sets for spraying or cropdusting.

Single radial engine 9-cylinder AI-14R (nominal power 161 kW/220 hp, take-off power 191 kW/260 hp). Two-blade propeller. Two fuel tanks in wings, 90 l each.

[edit] Operators

[edit] Specifications

General characteristics

Crew: one, pilot
Capacity: 1 / 3 passengers
Length: 9.0 m (29 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 12.68 m (41 ft 4 in)
Height: 3.12 m (10 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 23.8 m² ()
Useful load: 500 kg ()
Max takeoff weight: 1,660 kg ()
Powerplant: 1× Ivchenko AI-14R air-cooled 9-cylinder radial engine, 191 kW (260 PS)