Project "Raven" - slowly to the goal, part VII.

Project PZL 106 "Raven"

Getting closer...

Cd of history from part VI. In 1983- 1985, the PZL-106BT-601 "Turbo-Kruk" was constructed with a Czech Walter M-601 engine and a larger vertical stabilizer, flown on 18.09.1986 (according to [7]- 18.09.1985). A conceptual design for an armed version of the "Raven" was also made in 1985 (according to [5]- a prototype was made, unlikely). It was developed initially for a request for proposals from the German Democratic Republic, and later for South American customers, and was intended to combat small armed guerrilla and terrorist groups and to attack armed coca farmers. The attack would be followed by spraying of plantations to destroy the foliage. In 1997, it was proposed to convert the PZL-106 "Raven" aircraft into a fire-fighting version of the PZL-106 "Raven C," with an integral tank and an 882 kW (1,200 hp) engine that would allow a payload of 3,000 kg.

Serial production of the PZL-106BT-601 was temporarily discontinued in the late 1980s when orders from East Germany ceased after German reunification, but was resumed again in 1995. In 1998, a version of the PZL-106 BTU powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A turbine engine was developed.
The lead constructors were Kazimierz Dabrowski, Klemens Wolos, Jozef Mliczek and Maciej Szczawinski, M.Sc., respectively. In 1983- 1987, on the basis of the main structural assemblies of the "Raven" (wings, landing gear, landing gear, cabin, fuselage truss), M.Sc. A. Frydrychewicz developed the design of a family of multirole aircraft with Canada in mind: the PZL "Fregata" aircraft, the PZL-140 "Gąsior" biplane firefighting aircraft and the An-3M multirole aircraft, and in 1994 - the design of the PZL-240 "Pelican" firefighting aircraft.

Further history in the next entry, and let's "take a look" at Henryk Wicki's workshop for progress.