Aviation History - March 2016 USA

March 2016 AH 13

POLISH AVIATION MUSEUM, KRAKOW; ILLUSTRATION: STEVE KARP

PZL MIELEC M-15 SPECIFICATIONS

PZL Mielec M-15 took to the

sky on April 20, 1974. About

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examples were sent to the

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at the same time was the

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its less-than-auspicious recep-

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April 4, 1979.

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an after cabin that normally

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nacelle were two sets of

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twin booms on which were

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the lower one, of lesser span,

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non-retractable.

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M-15. With a maximum

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67½ mph, the M-15 bears

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Still, freakish is as freakish

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Mielec kept a perfectly

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is the harmonious synthesis

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economical to be worthwhile.

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after only 120 to 175 M-15s

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its Warsaw Pact allies, which

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At least two weatherworn

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the m-

bears the

distinction of

being the

world's

slowest

production

jet plane.

WINGSPAN

73 feet 3¾ inches

WING AREA

726.6 square feet

LENGTH

41 feet 8¾ inches

HEIGHT

17 feet 6½ inches

WEIGHT

6,812 pounds (empty)

12,456 pounds

(maximum takeoff)

MAXIMUM SPEED

124 mph

CLIMB RATE

950 feet per minute

SERVICE CEILING

14,764 feet

RANGE

248 miles

Note: side view not

to scale