PZL M28 Skytruck

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL_M28_Skytruck

C-145A 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.

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").

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. 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.


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)

Unit cost

US$6.5-7 Million

Developed from
Antonov An-28

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.

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. 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.

Specifications (PZL M28)

General characteristics
Crew: 2
Capacity: 19 passengers (17 paratroopers)
Payload: 2,300 kg (5,070 lb)
Length: 13.10 m (43 ft)
Wingspan: 22.06 m (72.38 ft)
Height: 4.90 m (16.08 ft)
Wing area: 39.72 m² (427.5 sq ft)
Airfoil: TsAGI R-II-14
Aspect ratio: 12.25
Empty weight: 4,354 kg (9,601 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 7,500 kg (16,534 lb)
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
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B turboprops, 820 kW (1,100 shp)
each
Propellers: five-blade Hartzell HC-B5MP-3D10876ASK fully feathering reversible
constant-speed propellers Propeller diameter: 2.83 m (0.86 m)


Performance
Maximum speed: 355 km/h (192 kn)
Cruise speed: 244 km/h (132 kn) long range
Stall speed: 120 km/h (65 kn) MTOW
Minimum controllable speed: 153 km/h (83 kn)
Range: 1,592 km (860 nmi) 10,000 ft, 45 min. reserve
Ferry range: 3100 km (1,700 nmi)
Endurance: 6.2 h (10,000 ft, 45 min reserve)
Service ceiling: 7,620 m (25,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 12.29 m/s (2,420 ft /min) 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 6 min with air
bleed off (9 min with air bleed on)
Take-off: 548 m / 1,800 ft
Landing: 499 m / 1,640 ft
Fuel Consumption: 268 kg/h / 591 lb/h (10,000 ft)




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