TERRA-SCAN, a California-based PZL Wilga dealer, has developed a special-mission variant of the Polish-built 80-S version of the aircraft, which it is marketing as an alternative to helicopters for law-enforcement roles.
Since May, Terra-Scan has been conducting flight trials with its demonstration aircraft, fitted with a Wescam gimbal-mounted camera and infra-red imaging system.
Weighing in at around 68kg, the long-range Wescam 24DB is the largest podded forward-looking infra-red system available, although the high ground clearance of the Wilga's fuselage enables the sensor to be accommodated on the centre-line without difficulty.
Terra-Scan president George Volkoff says that the belly-mounted camera has virtually no impact on the aircraft's flight characteristics and claims that the Wilga is the only normally aspirated single-engine fixed-wing aircraft able to carry the Wescam 24DB. During the recent Airborne Law Enforcement Association convention in Phoenix, Arizona, real-time images were transmitted from the aircraft to the Wescom stand, via a Troll Technologies microwave downlink.
Volkoff expects the US Federal Aviation Administration to issue a supplemental type certificate. He then plans to carry out a demonstration tour of the short take-off and landing aircraft.
The Wilga 80-S is configured for operation by a crew of two with the other two seats occupied by equipment. The installation has been designed to revert easily to its four-seat configuration.
Volkoff claims that a fully equipped, customised, Wilga 80-S can be acquired for no more than the annual operating costs of some helicopters.
Source: Flight International
