MIELEC, Poland, Sept. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- An M28 short
takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft manufactured at PZL Mielec, a
facility in Poland owned by
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), has arrived in
Ecuador following a trans-Atlantic
flight from Poland. Delivered five
months after contract award, the twin-engine turboprop will meet
the Ecuadorian Army's need for a proven multi-role transport
aircraft that can perform in diverse climates and terrain.
The Ecuadorian Army contracted for the aircraft in April this
year. PZL Mielec conducted training for Army pilots and mechanics,
and a Polish crew piloted the aircraft 13,500 km via Iceland and Greenland, across the Atlantic Ocean to
Canada, the United States and Central America to Shell Mera in Ecuador, where the aircraft was officially
accepted by the Army.
"The M28 aircraft's powerful turbo-prop engines, a large cabin
with clamshell rear door, and the airframe's rugged structural
characteristics, will give the Ecuadorian Army a highly versatile
short takeoff and landing platform with which to perform multiple
types of missions in diverse climates," said Adam Schierholz, Sikorsky regional executive for
Latin America. "We welcome
Ecuador to the M28 family."
A proven, durable and reliable STOL aircraft, the M28 aircraft
can operate from runways or airstrips inaccessible by other
airplanes, and can fly in extreme environmental conditions and
temperatures ranging from +50° C to -50° C.
Currently, over 100 M28 planes are used worldwide, both in
commercial and military configurations. Among other missions, they
perform passenger transport, parachutist training, border patrol
and supervision over fisheries. The Polish Air Force flies the M28
Bryza variant for both maritime and transport operations.
The M28 aircraft weighs 7,500 kg (16,500 pounds) and can be
equipped with 19 passenger seats, or transport up to 2,300 kg
(5,000 pounds) of cargo, as well as perform parachute missions via
the rear cabin door.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda,
Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace
company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is
principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology
systems, products and services. This year the company received
three Edison Awards for ground-breaking innovations in autonomy,
satellite technology and directed energy.
For additional information, visit our website:
www.m28aircraft.com.
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SOURCE Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation