A jet trainer aircraft, developed in 1958 by a team led by Eng. Tadeusz Soltyk. The prototype was first flown in February 1960 with a British Bristol Siddeley Viper 8 engine, as the concurrent development of the intended SO-1 engine was running behind schedule.
The TS-11 Iskra is the first Polish-designed aircraft with turbojet propulsion. Serial production was undertaken at WSK PZL Mielec in 1963 with the substitute HO-10 engine. By 1987, 419 examples were produced of the Iskra bis A, bis B, bis C, bis D training versions and the bis DF training-reconnaissance version.
In the Polish military aviation, Iskras were operated until 2021. They were used for advanced training and as aerobatic aircraft in the Air Force’s representative display team “Iskry”. The Naval Aviation used them for maritime reconnaissance missions. From 1975 to 2004, Iskras were also operated by the Indian Air Force in a quantity of 64 examples.
The exhibited example, serial number 3H-1415, was painted during an overhaul carried out at the Military Aviation Works No. 2 in Bydgoszcz in the colours of an Indian Air Force example, number W1741.
| Wingspan | 10.06 m |
| Length | 11.15 m |
| Takeoff weight | 3,862 kg |
| Maximum speed | 720 km/h |
| Ceiling | 11,000 m |
| Range | 1,200 km |
| Armament | 23 mm cannon, ability to carry 50 kg bombs and unguided rocket launchers on four underwing hardpoints. |
| Powerplant | SO-3 turbojet engine with 9.8 kN thrust |
