PZL Mielec
| File:PZL Mielec Logo.jpg | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1939 |
| Headquarters | , Poland |
Number of employees | 1,600[1] (2021) |
| Parent |
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| Website | pzlmielec |
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PZL Mielec (Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze, meaning Polish Aviation Works), previously known as WSK-Mielec (Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego) and WSK "PZL-Mielec", is a Polish aerospace company headquartered in Mielec. It ranks as the largest aerospace manufacturer established in Poland after World War II. The firm was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in 2007, which preserved the original brand identity. From 1948 through 2014, the enterprise produced nearly 15,600 aircraft.[2]
Pre-1945 Era
Between 1938 and 1939, Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze (State Aviation Works; PZL), Poland's foremost aviation enterprise, constructed a manufacturing facility in Mielec, named PZL WP-2 (Wytwórnia Płatowców 2, or "Airframe Factory No. 2"). Production commenced shortly before the onset of World War II. By March 1939, the factory had begun assembling its initial aircraft—the PZL.37 Łoś bombers—using parts supplied from the PZL WP-1 plant located in Warsaw.[2] At that time, the workforce numbered around 700 employees.[2]
Following the invasion of Poland on 13 September 1939, the town of Mielec came under Nazi Germany occupation.[3] During this period, the factory was incorporated into the Heinkel company and was involved in producing tail fins for Heinkel He 111 bombers as well as servicing Junkers Ju 52 planes. By 1944, the number of employees had increased to approximately 5,500.[2] In July of that year, retreating German forces dismantled and removed all machinery and equipment from the site. The Soviet Army captured Mielec on 6 August 1944. Initially, the facility served as a repair workshop under Soviet control until it was returned to Polish authorities on 22 July 1945.[3]
1945 to present
Following World War II, the Mielec facility was renamed Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze (PZL) - Zakład nr 1 (State Aviation Works, Plant No. 1) and transformed into a government-owned enterprise. Initially, its activities focused on aircraft maintenance and the manufacture of primarily non-aviation products such as bus bodies and scales.[3] The first aircraft developed at Mielec was a basic trainer, the PZL S-1, which took flight on 15 November 1945; only a single unit was completed, marking it as the second aircraft produced in Poland after the war.
The Mielec factory predominantly engaged in licensed production or manufactured designs from other Polish design bureaus. In 1948, it produced a limited run of ten LWD Szpak-4T utility aircraft, designed by the LWD, representing the first post-war Polish aircraft series.[2] That same year, production commenced on licensed Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes under the designation CSS-13, with 180 units completed by 1950; these were also built at PZL Warszawa-Okęcie. Additionally, in 1950 a small batch of pre-war Polish Salamandra gliders was manufactured.
In 1949, reflecting a nationwide restructuring of the aerospace sector, the factory was renamed Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego – zakład nr 1 (Communication Equipment Factory, Plant No. 1), commonly abbreviated as WSK-1 Mielec or simply WSK-Mielec.[3] Between 1970 and 1975, it briefly operated under the name WSK Delta-Mielec.[2] In 1975, the plant reverted to a traditional title, Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego "PZL-Mielec" (WSK "PZL-Mielec"), honoring the PZL brand legacy.[2] Workforce numbers grew from approximately 2,600 employees in the 1950s to a peak of around 18,000.[2]
From 1950 onward, Mielec underwent substantial expansion, emerging as Poland’s leading aircraft manufacturer. It produced Soviet-designed jet fighters under license: MiG-15 (as Lim-1), MiG-15bis (Lim-2), MiG-17 (Lim-5), along with Polish-developed derivatives including SBLim-1 and SBLim-2 trainers and the Lim-6 attack variant.[2] Initial Lim-1 assembly using Soviet components began in 1952, with full-scale production launching in 1953. By 1964, approximately 1,500 units had been completed. Between 1957 and 1960, the factory also manufactured 250 piston-engine trainers of Polish design, the TS-8 Bies. Starting in 1963, production of the indigenous jet trainer TS-11 Iskra commenced; this model became the principal training aircraft for Polish military aviation. Its intended successor, the PZL I-22 Iryda, co-developed by PZL Mielec, encountered multiple issues—primarily funding shortages—and consequently only a limited number were produced.
The most extensively produced aircraft at Mielec was the licensed Soviet Antonov An-2 utility biplane. Production began in 1960 with various versions manufactured until 2002,[2] totaling 11,954 units. While predominantly supplied to Soviet customers, these aircraft were also utilized domestically and exported internationally. Variants included: 7,880 agricultural An-2R models; 1,640 transport-passenger An-2TP; 1,344 transport An-2T; 816 passenger An-2P; 154 An-2M floatplanes; 52 military paratroop An-2TD transports; and 44 executive An-2P Lux editions.[2] Beginning in 1984, PZL Mielec became the sole manufacturer of the Soviet Antonov An-28 STOL transport aircraft, producing around 180 units.[2] This model was further enhanced locally into a modernized version known as the PZL M-28 Skytruck/Bryza, equipped with Western avionics and marketed successfully to Poland’s Army and Navy as well as international clients for maritime patrol duties.
Besides licensed manufacturing, several indigenous designs emerged from Mielec during the 1950s and ’60s—such as PZL S-4 Kania, PZL M-2, and PZL M-4 Tarpan—though none advanced to mass production. Collaborative design efforts proved more lucrative. With Soviet assistance in 1973, Mielec developed the world’s only jet-powered agricultural aircraft—the WSK-Mielec M-15 Belphegor—which was built between 1976 and 1981 exclusively for Soviet use. Concurrently, cooperation with American companies led to the creation of the highly successful agricultural plane M-18 Dromader, which first flew in 1976 and continued production and development into recent years (as of 2012). Over 759 units were manufactured,[2] mostly destined for export to Western markets. WSK-Mielec also produced a limited number of utility aircraft under license—the PZL M-20 Mewa (based on the Piper PA-34 Seneca). Building on this platform, they developed a light trainer named PZL M-26 Iskierka in 1988; however, only seven examples were completed.
Non-aviation production
Beyond aircraft manufacturing, the plant also engaged in producing various non-aviation goods. These included fire trucks beginning in 1948, refrigerators from 1954 to 1966, and the Mikrus MR-300 microcar produced between 1956 and 1960 with a total of 1,728 units built. Additionally, the factory manufactured refrigerator truck bodies from 1962 to 1974, television broadcast vehicles starting in 1965, fuel injection systems from 1964 onward, and diesel engines under Leyland license beginning in 1967. From 1970, it also produced Melex electric utility vehicles and golf carts primarily for export to the United States; this line later evolved into an independent brand. In 1993, the section responsible for fuel injection equipment was spun off as a separate limited liability company named Wytwórnia Aparatury Wtryskowej "PZL Mielec" (Fuel Injection Equipment Factory "PZL–Mielec").
Present and future
On 19 October 1998, the state-owned enterprise WSK "PZL-Mielec" was transformed into a state-owned company called Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze Mielec Sp. z o.o. (Polish Aviation Works), commonly referred to as PZL Mielec—distinct from the pre-war Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze (PZL). In May 1999, the company achieved certification under Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR)-21 standards. Following a decline in exports to Eastern Bloc nations, production levels dropped, resulting in a workforce of approximately 1,200 to 1,400 employees.
On 16 March 2007, PZL Mielec was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, then part of United Technologies Corporation (UTX) and currently under Lockheed Martin. Since 2009, the facility has been producing fuselage components for Sikorsky's UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and from 2010 has operated as an additional final assembly site for S-70i Black Hawk helicopters.
This acquisition and its consequences drew significant criticism within Polish military media, with allegations that the sale price—56.1 million PLN—was undervalued due to pro-American lobbying efforts. Furthermore, it was highlighted that in December 2008 the Polish military agreed to purchase twelve surplus M-28B aircraft from the new owners at prices two to three times higher than their actual market and export values.
Aircraft
| Model designation | Maiden flight | Quantity produced | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSS-13 | 1948 | 180 | Utility biplane with a single piston engine, produced under license |
| PZL Szpak-4T | 1948 | 10 | Utility monoplane powered by a single piston engine |
| PZL S-1 | 1945 | 1 | Trainer monoplane with a single piston engine |
| PZL S-4 Kania | 1957 | 3 | Single piston engine monoplane designed for training purposes |
| PZL TS-8 Bies | 1955 | 251 | Trainer monoplane equipped with a single piston engine |
| PZL M2 | 1958 | 2 | Monoplane trainer powered by one piston engine |
| PZL M3 Pliszka | 1959 | 3 | Glider aircraft |
| PZL M7 | N/A | 0 | Trainer monoplane with two jet engines (project) |
Notes
Bibliography
- Janusz Babiejczuk, Jerzy Grzegorzewski (1974) Polski przemysł lotniczy 1945-1973 (The Polish aviation sector 1945-1973), Wydawnictwo MON, Warsaw (no ISBN)
- Jerzy Gruszczyński (2014) Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk featured in "Nowa Technika Wojskowa - Polish helicopter tender," special edition for the MSPO 2014 defense exhibition, ISSN 1230-1655, pp. 8–9.
External links
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| Model designation | Maiden flight | Quantity produced | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| PZL M8 Pelikan | N/A | 0 | Glider aircraft (project) |
| PZL M-4 Tarpan | 1961 | 2 | Trainer monoplane with a single piston engine |
| PZL An-2 | 1961 | over 11,000 | Licensed production of a single piston engine utility biplane |
| PZL Lim-1 | 1952 | 227 | Licensed single jet engine fighter monoplane |
| PZL Lim-2 | – | 500 | Licensed production of a single jet engine fighter monoplane |
| PZL Lim-5 | 1956 | 666 | Licensed fighter monoplane powered by one jet engine |
| PZL-Mielec Lim-6 | – | 110 | Licensed attack monoplane with a single jet engine |
| PZL TS-11 Iskra | 1960 | 424 | Trainer monoplane equipped with one jet engine |
| PZL TS-16 Grot | N/A | 0 | Trainer monoplane powered by one jet engine (project) |
| PZL M12 | N/A | 0 | Utility monoplane with two piston engines (project) |
| align=left PZL M19 |
align=center N/A | align=center 0 | align=left Trainer monoplane with two jet engines (project) |
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