PZL M-3 Pliszka

The PZL M‑3 Pliszka was a lightweight, single‑engine trainer and sport aircraft built in the early 1960s by the Polish aerospace factory PZL‑Mielec. Designed by engineers Zygmunt Broniowski and Henryk Milik, the M‑3 emerged from the post‑war need for a simple, low‑cost aircraft to train basic piloting skills and to promote civil aviation among clubs and schools. Its wooden–steel mixed construction featured a low‑wing monoplane layout, a 115‑horsepower Lycoming O‑235‑C flat‑four engine, and a fixed tricycle landing gear that offered good ground handling. The cockpit could be fitted with either a single seat or side‑by‑side dual controls, allowing easy transition from instruction to personal flying. Only a few dozen airframes were completed before production ceased in 1965, as more modern trainers like the PZL‑Mielec Koliber took over the market. Despite the limited numbers, the Pliszka is remembered for introducing modern Western powerplants into Polish designs, for its dependable handling, and for serving as a bridge between wartime aeronautical experience and the growing civilian flying culture of the 1960s. Today, survivors of the type are displayed in Polish aviation museums, symbolizing a pioneering step in post‑war aircraft development.

PZL Mielec

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