New Ekolot KR-030 SW Topaz delivered

Gray Light Aviation of France have posted images of a brand new Ekolot KR-030 SW Topaz from the Ekolot factory at Krosno in Poland.

 

Photo courtesy Gray Light Aviation

The aircraft is finished in a white/blue colour scheme and shows the underwing Dept registration 89-XT and radio callsign F-JLBL in the cockpit. 

The aircraft is likely to be from production batch 030-13.... or 030-14....

New SZD 55-1 Neo from Allstar

Glider manufacturer Allstar SZD test flew their new SZD 55-1 Neo in December 2019 - the glider is registered as SP-4076 and is painted white/blue with a sharksmouth too. This is the 12th example of the 55-1 built by Allstar ( with a further 110 production examples built during the 1990s by the original SZD ).

Photo courtesy Allstar SZD


Production continues with at least two further new build examples for completion in 2020.

Celier Aviation 2012 delivery their first new Xenon G2

At the end of 2011 the two key business partners at Celier Aviation ( the manufacturers of the Xenon gyrocopter ) went their separate way. They both wanted to continue building gyrocopters and so two new separate companies were formed - "Aviation Artur Trendak" and "Celier Aviation (2012)".

The new Celier Aviation have recently built a small batch of three Xenon G2 gyroplanes at their facility in Biskupice. The first test flight took place in May 2013 with the first customer delivery going to an owner in Germany in June.

New Celier Aviation Xenon G2 arrives at Muritz Airpark, Germany 6.13  - photo Celier Aviation

Celier Aviation will now focus on the development and test flying of the first Xenon G4 model whilst rival Aviation Artur Trendak continue with production and development of their own Zen1 gyrocopter.

UPDATE 18.6.13 - Celier Aviation have now delivered the second and third new Xenon G2 ( from a batch of 3 ) - these two machines are both painted black and were delivered to Germany on 13.6.13. 

Steve

Replica FK-51 Mustang to be built at Krosno

FK at Krono, Poland will shortly start work on building the first example of the FK-51 Mustang. This is a 70% scale replica of the famous American WW2 P-51 Mustang fighter designed to be capable of aerobatic flights with a maximum load of +8g or -4g

Photo shows U.S. Army Air Force North American P-51 Mustang fighters from the 375th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group, from RAF Bottisham, Cambridgeshire (UK), in flight taken on 26 July 1944.

The project is a collaboration between FK-Lightplanes and Scalewings ( Austria ). The Krosno based company is very experienced in building composite material aircraft such as the FK-9, FK-12 and FK-14 light aircaft.

More info on the video link below which includes details of the master moulds being cut by CNC.

The aircraft will be offered in two versions, as an ultralight ( approx 472kg ) and as a ELA/LSA ( approx 600kg )  - engine choices include Rotax and Suzuki.


External Web Link to FK-51 Promo Video


Scalewings FK-51 Mustang website



Steve

I-28 Tractor Gyroplane

Poland has a long history of designing new and innovative aircraft  / helicopters / gliders - the Instytutu Lotnictwa ( IL ) aviation academy in Warsaw is currently working on a new gyrocopter, the I-28.

The I-28 is a two seat tractor gyrocopter, ie the powered propeller is at the very front of the aircraft rather than the more conventional ( in modern terms ) pusher type gyro where the powered propeller is behind the cockpit cabin.

The concept of tractor gyrocopters is not new with several designs flying in the 1930s ( Cierva designs )  - the  Instytutu Lotnictwa project brings this concept into the 21st century using the latest design techniques and materials. The design features a very sleek carbon epoxy aerodynamic fuselage with a two wheel undercarriage and a novel tail down design. At the moment the only tractor gyros being built are made in the USA by Little Wing Autogyros.

The first prototype is now nearing completion and the first test flight is due in late 2012.


More information on the link below

I-28 Gyrocopter



Steve

New airline - Bingo Airways

Bingo Airways is the latest new airline to start up in Poland. Bingo will operate holiday charter flights from Warsaw, Katowice and Poznan to holiday destinations in and around the Mediterranean.

 
The airline has chosen a simple white and red colour scheme with a "smile" under the nose too. The first aircraft for Bingo Airways an Airbus A320 ( c/n 2118 ) was re-painted into the new colour scheme at Bournemouth-Hurn airport in England in April 2012.

This aircraft was built in 2003 and previously operated by Turkish airline Izair as TC-IZA- it will become SP-ABK shortly.


More info on the Bingo Airways website - click here


External Link to photo of the first Bingo Airways aircraft at Hurn in April 2012


Steve

Philippine Air Force - W-3 Sokol test flying

PZL Swidnik are currently test flying W-3 Sokol helicopters getting ready for delivery to the Philippine Air Force.

At least four examples are currently at Rzeszow airport in the south of Poland - they are painted overall olive drab with full Philippine Air Force titles and markings.

Seen flying this week at Rzeszow was W-3 Sokol serial 310921 also wearing the Polish test registration SP-SWP.

Three more examples are hangared and appear ready to delivery, serials 310919, 310920 and 310922.

The Philippine Air Force ordered eight examples of the W-3 Sokol for a utility helicopter role. The remaining four Sokols will be delivered in late 2012 ( maybe November ).


LINK to  more great photos by Maciej Goclon of Philippine AF W-3 Sokol helicopters


UPDATE 14.2.12 - These four Philippine Air Force W-3 Sokol helicopters were airfreighted out of Rzeszow inside Volga Dnepr An-124-100 RA-82044 on 13.2.12 - it is believed that they will be based at Clark Air Force Base. 



Steve

New KR-030 Topaz delivered in France

The Ekolot dealer in France has just delivered a brand new KR-030 Topaz aircraft to a customer in Dept 37 ( Indre et Loire ) - the aircraft has been registered as "37-AFL".

Almost 40 examples of the KR-030 Topaz have been built so far by Ekolot at Krosno, Poland.

With thanks to www.ekolot.fr

PolishAircraftBlog - Steve

PZL Swidnik announces new W-3A Sokol order

January 2012 - PZL Swidnik ( part of the AgustaWestland group ) have announced that five new build W-3A Sokol helicopters have been ordered by the Polish Air Force for VIP use. The new helicopters will be delivered by the end of 2013 and will replace the remaining Mil Mi-8 currently used in the VIP role.

The Polish Air Force already operate two W-3A Sokols in the VIP role, serials 0915 and 0916 - these two are painted in a VIP white/red colour scheme and were delivered in 2008/2009.

More details on the PZL Swidnik press release on the link below,

PZL Swidnik Press Release January 2012


Steve

Yes Airways - new Polish holiday charter airline

Yes Airways in a new Polish holiday charter airline that is due to start operations from the end of April 2011. Yes will become the first Polish airline to operator Airbus aircraft and will start operations with two Airbus A320 airliners.

The first aircraft EI-DDL c/n 533 has recently been painted in Yes Airways colour scheme at Southend, UK and will shortly become SP-IAA  - see photo link below


http://www.airliners.net/photo/Yes-Airways/Airbus-A320-214/1906363/M/


A second A320 N566BB c/n 566 will follow soon and will become SP-IAB - photo link to N566JB below


http://www.flickr.com/photos/aeropix/5581625679/page2/



Yes Airways will operate holiday flights from Poland to Mediterranean resorts.


More information on the Yes Airways website below



http://www.yesairways.pl/



UPDATE Spring 2012  - Yes Airways merged with regional carrier OLT in Spring 2012 to become OLT Express

FURTHER UPDATE August 2012 - OLT Express cancel charter flights and aircraft reposed - more details here

http://www.thenews.pl/1/12/Artykul/107552,Holidaymakers-stranded-as-OLT-Express-suspends-charters




Steve

New Piper Pa-34 Seneca V delivered to Poland - N2310W - SP-TUD

Piper Aircraft delivered a new build Pa-34-220T Seneca V registration N2310W c/n 3449412 to Poland arriving on the 27th September 2010. The aircraft landed at Lodz airport before departing to Warsaw.

The aircraft was built in 2010 and registered as N2310W on 16th September 2010. The aircraft departed Lakeland, Florida, USA on 23rd September to start its journey across the Atlantic.


This aircraft routed through the UK en route from the USA, stopping at Shoreham on the 26th September and then Humberside on 27th September.


The American registration was cancelled by the FAA on the 5th October 2010 with the reason shown as "sold to Poland". The Seneca has been in production since 1971.


External link to Piper Aircraft Pa-34-220T Seneca V web page below

http://www.piper.com/pages/Seneca.cfm

UPDATE 12.10.10 - this new Seneca V arrived with the OKL Politechnic Rzeszow at Rzeszow airport registered as SP-TUD painted in a white and light blue colours scheme, see image below

Photo courtesy of OKL Politechnic Rzeszow and copyright of Ryszard Dworak

More details on the OKL web page

http://www.okl.prz.edu.pl/senecav.html


Steve in UK

SP-NAM - Bell 427

Bell 427 c/n 56076 was reported passing through Amsterdam Schipol in The Netherlands as cargo on 22.1.10.

This helicopter was built by Bell Textron in Canada and was cancelled from the Canadian register on 19.1.09 as C-FXSY.

UPDATE - May 2010

I'd like to thank Jacek Wójcis for supplying the photo of SP-NAM taken at Bydgoszcz in May 2010


Steve

Aero-Kros MP-02 Czajka at Aero 2010

 
Aero-Kros of Krosno Poland exhibited a new build MP-02 Czajka at the recent Aero 2010 trade show heald at Friedrichshafen, Germany.

The MP-02 is a high wing, T tail composite ultralight aircraft. Aero-Kros displayed the
 

 prototype of the MP-02 at the same show last year, April 2009, this has been test flying  registered as SP-SABD.

The aircraft shown at Aero 2010 was newly built and unregistered ( see above photo ) but will be delivered shortly to the Aero-Kros dealer in Belgium, JMB Aviation.


For more information about th MP-02 Czajka see the web link below



http://www.aero-kros.com/offer/26-mp-02-czajka.html


Steve

Enter Air - New Polish charter airline

A new Polish airline called Enter Air has recently started as a holiday charter airline in Poland.

They have leased 2 used Boeing 737-400 series aircraft from the leasing firm ILFC.

The first aircraft is registered is SP-ENA and is believed to be c/n 26320 - it has been painted in a white and blue colour scheme.

A second aircraft SP-ENB ( believed to be c/n 26299 ) will follow shortly. Both aircraft previously flew with Asiana Airlines of South Korea.

See link below for a photo of SP-ENA in Enter Air colours - with thanks to the Lotnictwo website

http://lotnictwo.net/foto.php?id=143739


Enter Air website


http://www.enterair.pl/



Steve