History:

As noted elsewhere, the M-18 Dromader is a fire-fighting and agricultural aeroplane designed to operate under night and day VFR conditions and built to comply with FAR Pt 23, and AMDT.16, built by Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze in Mielec in Poland.  In addition to Polish certification, it has been certified in more than 11 other countries.  It is a single-engine, low-wing all-metal monoplane with a fixed main undercarriage with a tailwheel.  A large fibreglass hopper is located behind the engine and in front of the cockpit for higher crash-worthiness and pilot safety.

It has been used for forest, bush and grass fire fighting, forest area patrolling for fire detection, chemical protection of forests and crops against pest and plant diseases, chemical fertilization, seeding, spraying and spreading, carriage of loose or powdered material, and re-cultivation of polluted or erosion-endangered areas.  It is able to drop up to 2,235 kg (4,928 lb) of water, or water foamed with special agents or retardants.

Over the years some operators were looking to increase the performance of the Dromader by the installation of a turbine power-plant.  In this regard a number of American companies independently obtained Supplemental Type Certificates for the M-18 which allowed them to install turbine power plants and larger fuel tanks, and in some a second cockpit for training.

In the United States Turbine Conversions of Nunica, Michigan fitted a PT6A-45 engine to an M-18 and fitted a 1,007 kw (1,350 shp) PT6A-65 to an M-18A (N6657C), these aircraft having a 3,028 litre (666 Imp gals / 800 US gals) hopper.  Delta Turbines of Arkansas fitted an M-18B (N2296Y) with an AlliedSignal TPE-331-12UA, this unit providing 821 kw (1,100 shp) and driving a five-blade Hartzell propeller of 302 cm (119 in) diameter.  A similar installation was made to N7813T.  Another was fitted with a 746 kw (1,000 shp) Lycoming T53-l-3 turbine removed from a Grumman OV-1 Mohawk.

In Australia a number of conversions have been made, appearing on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register as the M-18 Dromader Turbine. The first conversions were carried out at Trangie, NSW, these being the Delta Turbine Conversions variant fitted with the TPE-33-10A engine driving a five-blade propeller.  Conversions have included VH-TGI (c/n IZ05-15 – ex N168RA), which in 2006 was operated by R & M Aircraft of Ouse, Tasmania.  Others included VH-TGY (c/n IZ03-22 – ex VH-XKK) and VH-TZJ (c/n IZ03-32).  The latter two were noted operating on fire-bombing operations during the NSW summer of 2006-2007.  By late 2006 13 Australian Dromaders had been converted to turbine power, all conversions taking place at Trangie, NSW.

One conversion was of an M-18AS.  This aircraft was a dual control aircraft operated in East Germany as DDR-TLT and was later converted back to M-18A configuration, becoming D-FOLT.  It was imported to Australia and became VH-FVF with Fred Fahey Air Services.  More than 700 examples of the M-18 series was built.