A jet trainer aircraft, designed in 1958 by a team led by eng. Tadeusz Soltyk. The prototype first flew in 1960 with a British Bristol Siddeley Viper 8 engine, as the parallel development of the intended SO-1 engine was delayed. The aircraft proved to be a very successful design.
In 1961, a competition for a trainer aircraft for the air forces of the Warsaw Pact countries was held in the USSR, in which the Soviet Yak-30, Czechoslovak Aero L-29 Delfin and the Iskra took part. For political and other reasons, the L-29 Delfin won, but Poland kept the Iskra, launching serial production at WSK PZL Mielec. Due to persistent problems with the SO-1 engine, production of HO-10 engines, based on the BS Viper, was started at WSK Rzeszow.
The first serial production version, manufactured from 1963, was the Iskra bis A, which entered military service in 1964. In 1966, the Iskra bis B version was developed with improved radio navigation equipment and underwing hardpoints for weapons, powered by the SO-1 engine. In 1972, a reconnaissance and artillery fire control version, Iskra 200, was developed, produced in 5 examples under the designation Iskra bis C. In 1972, a single-seat attack version, Iskra 200BR, was test-flown but did not enter production. In 1973, the Iskra 200SB version was developed, which entered production as Iskra bis D, and in 1975 production of the training-reconnaissance version Iskra bis DF began. These versions were powered by improved SO-3 and SO-3W engines.
In 1975-76, 50 Iskra bis D aircraft were exported to India, where they were used until the end of 2004. Production finally ended in 1987. A total of 419 aircraft were built. In the Polish military aviation, Iskras are still in service today. They are used for advanced training and as aerobatic aircraft in the Air Force’s representative aerobatic team Iskry. The Naval Aviation used them for maritime reconnaissance tasks.
The TS-11 Iskra bis B aircraft with serial number 1H 06-15 belonged to the VI production series. It left the production line on 30 November 1970. From 1 December 1970 to 29 July 1972 it was assigned to the 60th Flight Training Regiment, operating from Radom-Sadkow airfield. On 16 October 1971, Sgt. officer cadet Andrzej Starchurski took off for a solo examination flight. Shortly after takeoff, the engine failed due to a broken compressor blade, after which the pilot made an emergency landing on the Radom-Lublin road with the landing gear partially retracted. Due to the damage sustained, the aircraft was struck off the unit’s strength. The aircraft subsequently served as a source of spare parts and a cutaway training aid.
| Wingspan | 10.06 m |
| Length | 11.15 m |
| Takeoff weight | 3862 kg |
| Maximum speed | 720 km/h |
| Ceiling | 11000 m |
| Range | 1200 km |
| Armament | 23 mm cannon, capability to carry 50 kg bombs, machine gun pods and unguided rocket launchers on four underwing hardpoints |
| Engine | SO-1 with 9.8 kN (1000 kG) thrust |
