Polish aircraft manufacturer PZL-Mielec says that it is ready to test-fly an upgraded prototype of the I-22 jet trainer.
Iryda chief designer Marek Potapowicz says that an aircraft incorporating the first stage of a range of proposed airframe and avionics improvements is ready for flight-testing.
The changes are designed to modernise the aircraft and improve field performance and high angle-of-attack characteristics. The first stage includes the addition of leading edge strakes and a taller fin.
The next stage of modifications is to integrate an avionics suite from French manufacturer Sextant Avionique, followed by the addition of Fowler flaps and slats. A fully upgraded aircraft should be ready to be flown by the end of March 1997, says Potapowicz.
The modified PZL-Rzeszow K-15-powered aircraft will be named the M-96 Iryda, and will set the standard for all future aircraft to come off the production line. It should be able to fly at angles of attack above 20í, will have a reduced approach speed of below 100kt (185km/h) and a landing run of about 1,000m (300ft), a 33% improvement on current aircraft.
The Polish air force has 11 earlier I-22 and M-93 versions of the Iryda, which were grounded during 1996 following the loss of one I-22 in a fatal crash. Mielec later received an order for the upgrade to all existing aircraft, and six new M-96s, and is hoping for follow-on orders in the coming year.
Source: Flight International
