| M-18 Dromader | |
|---|---|
 | |
| M-18B Dromader in flight | |
| Role | Utility aircraft |
| National origin | Poland |
| Manufacturer | PZL-Mielec |
| First flight | 27 August 1976 |
| Status | Active, in production |
| Produced | 1976-present |
| Number built | 759+ |
| Developed from | Rockwell Thrush Commander |
The PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader (English: "Dromedary") is a single engine agricultural aircraft that is manufactured by PZL-Mielec in Poland. The aircraft is used mainly as a cropduster or firefighting machine.
PZL-Mielec, then known as WSK-Mielec, began to design the Dromader in the mid 1970s, with help of United States aircraft manufacturer Rockwell International. PZL-Mielec asked for Rockwell's help because of the political situation at the time: operating in an Eastern Bloc country, PZL wanted the aircraft to sell well worldwide, and the company realized that certification by the United States Federal Aviation Administration would be important in reaching that goal. Rockwell on the other hand wanted to fit Polish high-power radial engines into its agricultural planes. As a result of this cooperation the Rockwell Thrush Commander aircraft was fitted with the PZL-3 engine, and the Polish designers created the higher payload M-18 Dromader by introducing the more powerful ASz-62 engine, making structural changes to the airframe, and increasing dimensions. The cooperation led to the Dromader sharing outer wing panels and part of the fuselage with the Thrush Commander.
The first prototype of the aircraft flew on August 27, 1976. In September 1978, the aircraft was given certification to fly in Poland. Certifications from many countries around the world followed soon.
Many aircraft of the M-18 type and its variations can still be seen around the world. They were sold to 24 countries, over 200 are used in the US. [1] In 2008, fifteen were sold to China. [2] In 2012, PZL-Mielec was still selling models M-18B and M-18BS, with 759 built in total. [1] As of 2017 [update] , the Dromader was sold by PZL-Mielec, but the production has been halted. [2] The produced aircraft are still refurbished instead, with new engines (produced by WSK "PZL-Kalisz"). [2] There are plans to acquire rights and renew the production in WZL-2 in Bydgoszcz. [2]
Croatia 
Greece 
Montenegro 
Serbia - Agricultural AviationThe Dromader is in service with aerial agriculture and other companies in many countries, operating in a variety of roles. The former Yugoslav Airline, Jugoslovenski Aerotransport, used it for cropspraying.
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004, [3] Jane's all the World's Aircraft 2004-05, [4] [5]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
The PZL TS-8 Bies (Devil) is a Polish trainer aircraft, used from 1957 to the 1970s by the Polish Air Force and civilian aviation.
The PZL M-15 was a jet-powered sesquiplane designed and manufactured by the Polish aircraft company WSK PZL-Mielec for agricultural aviation. In reference to both its strange looks and relatively loud jet engine, the aircraft was nicknamed Belphegor, after the noisy demon.
The Ayres Thrush, formerly the Snow S-2, Aero Commander Ag Commander, and Rockwell Thrush Commander, is an American agricultural aircraft produced by Ayres Corporation and more recently by Thrush Aircraft. It is one of the most successful and long-lived agricultural application aircraft types in the world, with almost 2,000 sold since the first example flew 68 years ago. Typical of agricultural aircraft, it is a single-seat monoplane of conventional taildragger configuration. Originally powered by a radial piston engine, most examples produced since the 1980s have been turboprop-powered.
The PA-25 Pawnee is an agricultural aircraft produced by Piper Aircraft between 1959 and 1981. It remains a widely used aircraft in agricultural spraying and is also used as a tow plane, or tug, for launching gliders or for towing banners. In 1988, the design rights and support responsibility were sold to Latino Americana de Aviación of Argentina.
The PZL Kania is a follow-up design to the Mil Mi-2 helicopter, developed in Poland by PZL-Świdnik.
The PZL-Mielec M-20 Mewa is a licence-built version of the Piper PA-34 Seneca II manufactured in Poland by WSK PZL Mielec in a limited series from the 1980s.
The PZL I-22 Iryda, otherwise known as the PZL M93 Iryda and PZL M96 Iryda, was a twin-engine, two-seat military jet trainer aircraft developed and produced by Polish aviation company PZL Mielec.
The Embraer EMB 202 Ipanema is a Brazilian agricultural aircraft used for aerial application, particularly crop dusting. It is produced by Indústria Aeronáutica Neiva, a subsidiary of Embraer located in Botucatu, Brazil. The latest version of this aircraft is the first ethanol-powered fixed-wing aircraft, which could give it an economical advantage over the gasoline version. The aircraft is widely employed in Brazil, having market share of about 80%, and the 1,000th delivery was completed on 15 March 2005. Besides aircraft, alcohol-conversion kits for gasoline-powered Ipanemas are also sold.
The PZL-101 Gawron (rook) is a Polish agricultural and utility aircraft designed and built by WSK-Okęcie.
PZL M-4 Tarpan was a Polish trainer and sports aircraft prototype of the 1960s, designed in WSK-Mielec.
PZL M26 Iskierka or M26 Airwolf is a Polish trainer and aerobatic aircraft, designed at WSK PZL-Mielec.
The Zlin Z-37 Čmelák, also known as LET Z-37 Čmelák is an agricultural aircraft which was manufactured in Czechoslovakia. It is powered by a Soviet-built Ivchenko reciprocating engine. The aircraft is used mainly as a cropduster.
The PZL-106 Kruk is a Polish agricultural aircraft designed and built by WSK PZL Warszawa-Okęcie.
The Shvetsov ASh-62 is a nine-cylinder, air-cooled, radial aircraft engine produced in the Soviet Union. A version of this engine is produced in Poland as the ASz-62 and the People's Republic of China as the HS-5.
The PZL M-24 Dromader Super is a single engine agricultural aircraft, developed in the 1980s by the WSK-Mielec from the PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader. It did not progress beyond the prototyping stage.
The PZL S-4 Kania 2 was a Polish trainer and glider towing aircraft of the 1950s, not built in series. The first prototype was designated S-3 Kania. There is also a helicopter named PZL Kania.
The Commonwealth Aircraft CA-28 Ceres was a crop-duster aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1959 and 1963. The aircraft was a development of the Wirraway trainer of World War II.
The PZL-102 Kos (blackbird) is a Polish two-seat touring and training monoplane designed and built by PZL.
PZL M-2 was a Polish trainer aircraft prototype of 1958, a low-wing monoplane with fixed gear. Designed at WSK-Mielec, it did not enter production.
The Hongdu N-5,, originally known as the Nanchang N-5, is a Chinese agricultural aircraft. First flown in 1989, and entering into production in 1992, the N-5 is a single-engined low-wing monoplane, and is available in versions powered by a piston engine or a turboprop.
