PZL M-17

The PZL M-17 "Duduś Kudłacz" (initially EM-5A) was a Polish twin-boom pusher general aviation and trainer aircraft of 1977, which remained a prototype.

Design and development

The aircraft was an amateur design of a team of students of Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska) led by Edward Margański. It had quite unorthodox layout of a pusher with twin booms and very streamlined fuselage. A crew of two sat side by side, and had double controls. A tricycle landing gear was retractable.

The plane was designed in 1969-1971. At the design stage it was designated EM-5A (EM for Margański) and nicknamed Duduś Kudłacz (Hairy Duduś). The aircraft factory PZL-Mielec in Mielec got interested in the design and took over its development, under a designation PZL M-17. The design was modified there with help of Margański, plastic and duralumin construction was changed to riveted duralumin one, and it was given weaker engine, than designed.

The only prototype was flown on 7 July 1977 by S. Wasil. It was not produced in series. In 1979 the prototype was given to Rzeszów University of Technology. A shortcoming of a streamlined fuselage was a cramped cockpit, the crewmen were half-laying in a similar way, as in gliders.

The plane was a mid-wing monoplane. It had a two-blade wooden propeller and a fuel tank 310 l.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 1
• Length: 6.5 m ()
• Wingspan: 9.2 m ()
• Height: 1.7 m ()
• Wing area: 11.3 m² (ft²)
• Empty weight: 745 kg ()
• Loaded weight: 1050 kg ()
• Powerplant: 1 × Walter Minor 6-III air-cooled -cylinder straight engine, 160 hp (118 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 300 km/h
• Stall speed: 95 km/h ()
• Range: 2200 km ()
• Service ceiling: 2,000 m ()
• Rate of climb: 2.5 m/s ()

See also

• EM-11 Orka

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• RFB Fantrainer

References

• PZL M-17 at Poser site

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to PZL aircraft.

• Photos