PZL TS-11 Iskra

PZL Mielec · Poland · first flew 1960 · fighter

The PZL TS-11 Iskra (Spark) is a Polish-designed and built single-engine jet trainer that has served as the primary advanced trainer of the Polish Air Force since the 1970s. It is notable as the only jet aircraft of entirely Polish design and manufacture to have entered quantity production.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	12.74 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Polish-designed single-engine jet trainer
Tandem-seat cockpit under long canopy
Straight mid-wing configuration

Slender straight-winged jet trainer with a long cockpit canopy over tandem seats, a single turbojet fed by wing-root intakes, and a conventional tail; the straight wing is unusual among jet trainers of its era.

Specifications

The PZL TS-11 Iskra has a length of 12.74 m (42 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.06 m (33 ft).
Its maximum speed is 770 km/h (478 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Design began in the late 1950s and the aircraft first flew in 1960, but development was protracted due to engine problems with the Polish HO-10 turbojet. The Iskra eventually entered service in 1972 and has been progressively updated, with modernised variants still in service. The Polish Air Force aerobatic team, the Iskry, flies a demonstration version of the aircraft.

Variants

The TS-11 Bis B and Bis D are the primary production versions; the TS-11 Bis DF added limited weapons capability.

Where you'll see it

Operated exclusively by the Polish Air Force; approximately 50 aircraft remained in service into the 2020s, making it one of the longest-serving Eastern Bloc trainers.

Related aircraft

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