Photograph:
Pazmany PL-2 VH-PEW (c/n S15) at Camden, NSW in December 2011 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two-seat light cabin monoplane
Power Plant:
One 93 kw (125 hp) Lycoming O-290 four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.53 m (28 ft)
- Length: 5.99 m (19 ft 8 in)
- Height: 2.44 m (8 ft)
- Wing area: 10.78 m² (116 sq ft)
- Max speed at sea level: 232 km/h (144 mph)
- Economical cruising speed: 206 km/h (128 mph)
- Stalling speed: 87 km/h (54 mph)
- Max rate of climb at sea level: 456 m/min (1,500 ft/min)
- Range at economical cruising speed: 780 km (486 miles)
- Fuel capacity: 95 litres (21 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 408 kg (900 lb)
- Loaded weight: 655 kg (1,445 lb)
History:
The prototype of the Pazmany series of aircraft, the PL-1 Laminar, was flown for the first time on 23 March 1962. This was a two-seat aircraft with a 71 kw (95 hp) Continental C90-12E engine. The Pazmany Aircraft Corp was established to market plans for the PL-1, and 375 sets of plans were sold before it was decided to concentrate on the PL-2, a machine of similar size but more developed, with an up-rated engine. Fifty-eight aircraft, known as the PL-1B, were constructed fitted with 112 kw (150 hp) Lycoming O-320 engines between 1970 and 1974 for the Chinese National Air Force in Taiwan.
The PL-2 was almost identical to the PL-1, but the cockpit width was increased by 5 cm (2 in) and wing dihedral was increased from three to five degrees. Redesign of the structure simplified construction and reduced the aircraft’s empty weight. Static tests were made during 1967, and the first PL-2 built in California made its first flight on 4 April 1969 with a Lycoming O-290-G engine. A PL-2 was built for the Vietnam Air Force, and this was first flown on 1 July 1971. Others were tested by the Royal Thai Air Force and the Republic of Korea Air Force. Another was built in Japan by Miyauchi Manufacturing Co Ltd. Fifty, known as the LT-200, were built in 1976 by Lipnur Aircraft Industries in Indonesia.
The PL-2 was a side-by-side two-seat, dual control, aircraft with a fixed tricycle undercarriage. The fuselage was built up of conventional pressed metal frames, longerons and skins. The all-flying tail was equipped with an anti-servo tab for trimming and providing adequate stick forces. The main undercarriage legs were attached to the wingspar and the steerable nosewheel to the engine mount. Brakes were fitted to the two main wheels and shock absorbers were of the oleo-pneumatic type. The parallel chord wing panels incorporated flanged aluminium ribs, a main spar with machined extruded booms, a metal false rear spar and aluminium skin.
A number of examples of the series have been registered in this region. The first PL-2 in Australia, VH-ETC (c/n N83), was completed in Sydney, NSW and flown in early 1980, followed by VH-PEW (c/n S15) in Broken Hill, NSW, and VH-UON (c/n N97) in Canberra, ACT. Construction of another PL-2 was commenced, registration VH-DBQ being allotted, but this was not taken up. Other PL-2s include VH-ZLB, a PL-2A (c/n V409) with a Lycoming IO-320-B1A engine, registered on 16 February 2000 which, when placed on the market for sale in 2017, was described as a PL-10, but the PL-10 was a variant built for the Sri Lankan and North Korean Air Forces in the 1960s.
Examples of both the PL-1 and PL-2 have been completed in New Zealand, the first being a PL-1 ZK-PAZ (c/n AACA/175/1) based at Dargaville which differed from most examples of the type in having an 86 kw (115 hp) engine and canted wingtips, later exported to Australia; and PL-2 ZK-TLP (c/n ACA247) built at Te Aroha and first registered on 18 December 1987 fitted with a Lycoming O-320 engine.