Within the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (the economic organisation of the Soviet bloc), Poland was assigned the role of producer of agricultural aeroplanes and helicopters. Between 1960 and 1990, most Polish aviation manufacturers produced such machines and their equipment.
Initially, these were licensed designs and their modifications, such as the multi-purpose An-2R produced at WSK PZL Mielec, or the PZL-101 Gawron from WSK PZL Warszawa Okęcie. As demand for agricultural aviation services grew, the design, testing and production of new domestic aircraft began. At WSK PZL Świdnik, production of the Mi-1 (SM-1) and later the Mi-2 helicopter commenced, both having agricultural versions. In the 1970s and 80s, a family of specialist 2nd generation agricultural aircraft was created: the PZL-106 Kruk and PZL M-18 Dromader. Production of the world’s first jet-powered agricultural aircraft, the M-15 Belphegor, was also launched.
At the engine factories WSK PZL-Kalisz and WSK PZL-Rzeszów, piston and turbine engines were produced, while the WSK plants in Wrocław and Warszawa-Praga manufactured assemblies and onboard equipment for these aircraft. Exports developed. In total, approximately 15,000 aeroplanes and helicopters in agricultural versions were produced in Poland. Most of them were exported, and around 400 operated in Polish service enterprises. The scale of agricultural aircraft and helicopter production in Poland is evidenced by the fact that at the turn of the 1970s and ’80s, PZL-Mielec (producer of the An-2R, M-15 and M-18, and their derivatives) was the world’s largest manufacturer of utility aircraft. more: list of countries where Polish agricultural aircraft were exported
As a country, we held second place in the world in the production of aeroplanes and helicopters manufactured in the “agro” version. — motoszybowce.pl*
