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The PZL-104 Wilga 35A is a single engine, four-seat, highwing,
general-pupose STOL aircraft built by PZL (Patowe Zaklady Lotnicze) "Warszawa-Okęcie". Studies
for a four-seat general-purpose monoplane as successor of the in Poland
under license built Yakovlev Yak-12M and the PZL-101 Gawron started in
the late fifties, and resulted in the early sixties in the designing of
the PZL-104 Wilga (Thrush or Golden Oriole).
In 1961, production of the PZL-104 Wilga prototype started and this
experimental Wilga 1 flew first on 24 April 1962.This experimental
prototype was powered by a Narkiewicz WN-6 six-cylinder
horizontally-opposed engine. The Wilga 1 prototype exposed a number of
serious design faults, that resulted in an airframe review that
thoroughly redesigned the aircraft. Retaining major structural elements
and successful sub-assemblies from the cantilever wings in the initial
design, a completely new slimmer, strengthened fuselage was added that
also offered an excellent rear view aspect for the crew during glider
towing operations, and the side doors were re-engineered to open upwards
for better aero observation or parachute jump sorties. The prototype of
the redesigned PZL-104 Wilga 2 flew first on 5 August 1963. Five
versions of the Wilga 2 were projected, including the Wilga 2A
glider-tug; the Wilga 2P general-purpose fouw-seater; the Wilga 2S
ambulance; and the Wilga 2R agricultural aircraft. A version added was the Wilga 2C,
the export variant with a 225 hp Continental O-470 engine proposed to manufacture under the name
Lipnur Gelatik (Rice Bird) under licence in Indonesia as in 1961 a contract
was signed between PZL- Okęcie in Warzaw and Lembaga Persiapan Industri Penerbangan (LAPIP) in Bandung
concerning the production of the PZL-104 Wilga in Indonesia. In fact, the prototype PZL-104 Wilga 2 was followed
by a short production run Wilga 2 variants, later converted
to the Wilga C and Wilga 3 configurations. With the PZL-104 Wilga
developing over the years, the aircraft was in continuous production
from 1962 to 2010. The main variants of the PZL-104 are the Wilga 2,
Wilga 3, Wilga 3A, Wilga 3S, Wilga C, Wilga 32, Wilga 35, Wilga 35A,
Wilga 35H, Wilga 35P, Wilga 80, PZL-104M Wilga 2000 and the Lipnur
Gelatik. In service since 1967, it is Poland's most successful light
aircraft development with over 1000 aircraft built.
The ICAO Aircraft
Type Designator for the PZL-Okecie PZL-104 Wilga 35A is PZo4. |
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On 26 June 1978, the 1978-built PZL-Okecie PZL-104 Wilga 35A
s/n 118391 was registered first DM-WRL in the DDR. On 10 December 1982,
the aircraft was re-registered DDR-WRL in the DDR. As of 3 October 1990,
the East German DDR-prefix was no longer valid, and all active DDR-registered aircraft
had to be re-registered: Wilga DDR-WRL was re-registered D-EWRL on 14 May 1991.
On
7 August 2014, PZL-Okecie PZL-104 Wilga 35A D-EWRL was seen at Flugplatz Zwickau (EDBI) during the
Deutschen Meisterschaften im Segelflug. |
Luchtvaart déjà vu
