About This File
Mielec Belphegor PZL M-15
Jet Powered Agricultural Application Aircraft
( CROP DUSTER )
First Flew 30 May 1973
Mr. Tupolev was asked to design this aircraft, and he politely declined the offer.
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There are several 5 worst and 10 ugliest aircraft. The PZL-15 usually hold one of the top three positions!
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There are two aircraft in this download
PZL M-15 FARMER/SG version VFR ONLY
PZL-M MILITARY, double spray capacity and full VFR/IFR with HUD and Glass
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What do you get when the Soviet Union wants a jet airplane purpose-built to service its massive farms and agricultural collectives? Well, according to Poland, you get the demented looking PZL M-15, nicknamed “Belphegor,” which means a hideous mythical demon who tricks people into thinking they have an invention that will make them rich!
Mr. A.N.Tupolev in Russia turned down the production proposalA.N.
Specifications (M-15)
General characteristics
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Crew: 1
- In tight quarters, 20 agricultural or aircraft workers will fit
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Capacity:
- Seats for two groundcrew for ferry flights
- 2,900 L (638 imp gallons) liquid chemicals or
- 2,200 kg (4,850 lb) dry chemicals
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Length: 12.72 m (41 ft 8
3⁄4 in) -
Wingspan: 22.33 m (73 ft 3
3⁄4 in) -
Height: 5.34 m (17 ft 6
1⁄2 in) - Wing area: 67.50 m2 (726.6 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 3,090 kg (6,812 lb)
- Max. takeoff weight: 5,650 kg (12,456 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Ivchenko-Progress AI-25 turbofan, 14.7 kN (3,306 lbf)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 200 km/h (108 knots, 124 mph)
- Cruise speed: 140–165 km/h (76–89 knots, 87–103 mph) (normal operating speed)
- Stall speed: 108 km/h (58.5 knots, 67.5 mph)
- Range: 400 km (216 nmi, 248 mi)
- Rate of climb: 4.8 m/s (950 ft/min)
Serial production started in 1976. Soviet Agriculture planned to order as many as 3,000 aircraft, but first experience of the M-15 in actual service was disappointing. The jet aircraft was not economical, and production ceased in 1981 after 175 ( another source says 750 were ordered ) were aircraft were built; it was only used in the USSR. The PZL M-15 is believed to be the world's only jet agricultural plane (e.g., the world's only jet cropduster), the world's only jet biplane and the world's slowest jet, at least as far as aircraft that have been put in mass production.
In the end just 175 M-15s were built, with production ending in 1981. Even though it was not a success, it is thought to hold some records as the world’s slowest production jet aircraft, the world’s only production jet biplane, the world’s only agricultural jet plane, and subjectively the ugliest jet aircraft ever put into production.
There may be more to this story!
If the Soviet Air Force asked for this strange aircraft to be built, then Agriculture would not be its purpose.
It does not make sense to use a jet engine on this purpose of an aircraft. Farmers fix tractor piston engines and trucks and other farm equipment all the time. Why make the farmer learn jet engine maintenance? Why use a jet engine that consumes much more fuel than a piston engine?
Lastly why build it in Poland instead of Russia?
And, there have been reports that the jet engine’s heat and exhaust will kill cotton crops.
My answer to these questions, they were building a fighting aircraft that could deliver , not pesticides and fertilizer, but chemical and biological products.
Repaint the aircraft in camouflage, and reset the indicators on the air speed indicator.And you have a very good low level WMD aircraft. Also add two additional dispenser tanks. It will easily handle the extra weight!
CREDITS:
Fan blades1.1 Brent123
The nice wheels are from the X-Plane engineering library produced, by Barry Michael Wehrli, thanks Barry
I am a dreamer, not an engineer
Albert Einstein said, “ If you can dream, you can do the impossible”
bargbill Memphis TN, USA
