Operational History
In 1964, the TS-11 prototype beat four world records in its class, among others the speed record of 839 km/h (524 mph). The Iskra competed as the standard jet trainer for the Warsaw Pact, but lost out to the Czechoslovakian Aero L-29 Delfin. Poland became the only Warsaw pact country to use the Iskra. A total of 424 aircraft were built by 1987, when production ceased. A total of 50 aircraft Iskra bis D were exported to India in 1975, then further 26 in the 1990s.
In 2002, Poland still had 110 TS-11s, including 5 TS-11Rs. The Iskra became Polish first and only jet trainer so far - the programme for a successor, the PZL I-22 Iryda (later designated M-93 Iryda), failed for several reasons and few were built. In Indian service, Iskra was withdrawn by 16 December 2004. During service, seven were lost, killing four crew.
In 2011, Poland had less than 79 (total number of school aircraft: TS-11, PZL-130) operational Iskras' according to official data.
From 1969 TS-11s have been used by the Polish aerobatics team, initially called "Rombik", and currently "Biało-Czerwone Iskry" ("White-and-Red Iskras").
The UK has one fully operational ground running Iskra (1018) which is part of the Cold War Jets Collection based at Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire.
Read more about this topic: PZL TS-11 Iskra
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“All history becomes subjective; in other words there is properly no history, only biography.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)