By Bartosz Glowacki & Grzegorz Sobczak
Polish and Slovakian partners target European certification of surveillance monoplane
Poland's M&M Aviation Works has signed an agreement with Slovakia's Letecke Opravovne Trencin (LOT) to jointly develop the EM-11C Orka surveillance aircraft.
Under the terms of the agreement, M&M will manufacture the aircraft's composite parts including fuselage, wings and empennage, while LOT will fund manufacture and undertake final assembly of aircraft at its Trencin facility. Flight testing, marketing and maintenance will also be in Trencin.
The Orka is a four-seat, high-wing monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. Powered by two 160hp (120kW) Textron Lycoming O-320 pusher-propeller engines providing a 190kt (350km/h) cruise speed, it has a range of 1,500km (810nm), maximum take-off weight of 1,650kg (3,630lb) and a take-off distance of 250m (820ft). European certification is set for the middle of next year, with first deliveries soon after.
The four seat Orka is powered by two Textron Lycoming O-320 engines and has a range of 1500km |
Source: Flight International
