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The helicopter crew had watched as the Dromader make a 'broad, descending left turn' on to a flight path that followed a ridge line about 100 feet above trees towards the intended target. M-18/T45 Turbine Dromader - turboprop powered with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45 engine. First flew in 1985 and was given FAA certification in April 1986. M-21 Dromader Mini - smaller variant (1100 kg of chemicals), flown in 1982, not produced. M-24 Dromader Super - bigger variant (2000 kg of chemicals), flown in 1987, not produced.

The PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader (Polish: '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.

Development

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 FAA certification 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. This co-operation meant that the Dromader shares outer wing panels and part of a 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, 200 are used in the USA.

Most Dromaders are easy to distinguish because of their yellow color. Over 740 had been built by 2006. Currently (2006) models M-18B and M-18BS are offered by PZL-Mielec.

Variants

• M-18 - original one-seat production version, now available for special orders only.
• M-18A - two seater available from 1984 onwards. Allows a mechanic or chemical loader to be carried as a passenger to remote fields.
• M-18AS - two-cockpit trainer version
• M-18B - refined version of M-18A with increased capacity, flown in 1993.
• M-18BS - two-cockpit trainer.
• M-18C - version with more powerful 895 kW (1,200 hp) Kalisz K-9 engine. Flown in 1995 but not produced.
• M-18/T45 Turbine Dromader - turboprop powered with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45 engine. First flew in 1985 and was given FAA certification in April 1986.
• M-21 Dromader Mini - smaller variant (1100 kg of chemicals), flown in 1982, not produced.
• M-24 Dromader Super - bigger variant (2000 kg of chemicals), flown in 1987, not produced.
• M-25 Dromader Mikro - smaller variant (500 kg of chemicals), sketch only.

Specifications (M-18B Dromader)

General characteristics
Crew: one, pilot
Capacity: one passenger, and up to 2,200 l (581 US gallons) or 1,900 kg (4,180 lb) of chemicals
Length: 9.47 m (31 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 17.70 m (58 ft 1 in)
Height: 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 40 m² (430 ft²)
Empty weight: 2,710 kg (5,975 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 5,300 kg (11,700 lb)
Powerplant: 1× WSK 'PZL-Kalisz' ASz-62IR-M18 piston radial, 745 kW (1,000 hp)

Performance
Maximum speed: 225 km/h (122 knots, 141 mph)
Range: 1,000 km (540 nm, 625 miles)
Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,100 ft)
Rate of climb: 390 m/min (1,280 ft/min)

The PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader is a popular agricultural aircraft, developed in middle 1970's in Poland by PZL. Dromaders are capable to make crop dusting and firefighting operations, carrying chemicals or water in a big frontal hopper.

The current version is oriented to test aircraft behavior carrying hard water loads, and it's has a basic water-oriented particle system for now. However, users who wants to try their cropdusting may edit the M18B_Dromader.xml file to get it. All instruments, sounds, fuselage texts and more details have been taken from a real CONAF's (National Forest Corporation, Chile) firefigther Dromader (CC-PZJ).

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Aircraft help

Engine start (temporary)

• Press { three times for turn on magnetos
• Press S for starter

Takeoff

• Flaps 15º
• Mixture rich
• Propeller coarse
• Full throttle
• Takeoff length and speed varies according to aircraft weight.

Landing

• Flaps 30º
• Propeller coarse
• Touchdown with the main gear, and let tail wheel touch when the aircraft slows down the speed.

Aircraft limits

• V_NE: 148 KIAS (Never exceed speed)
• V_NO: 121 KIAS (Max. speed for normal operations)
• V_A: 120 KIAS (Design maneuvering speed)
• V_FE: 104 KIAS (Max. flap extended speed)
• Cruise speed: 90-103 KIAS
• Stall speed: 60 KIAS
• Max G load factor: +3.4G; -1.4G
• Max takeoff weight (MTOW): 11904 lbs. (5400 kg)
• Max landing weight: 9200 lbs. (4200 kg)

Special keys

In-flight considerations

With full payload, a Dromader is 50% heavier, so it is neccessary to adjust the aileron trim carefully to fly properly. Pilots may consider to make firefighter water drops with flaps 15º down when plane flies with full water cargo at front. In the same way a loaded Dromader is less maneuverable than empty one, having a higher risk to stall.

Take attention to the lift while you do firefighter water dropping, due to the aircraft getting lighter very fast.

Development status

• Detailed 3D model & textures
• Detailed, semi-realistic cockpit
• Custom instruments (with some little exceptions, just temporary) based on real ones
• Exterior and interior animations
• Custom sounds, most taken from real Dromaders
• Improved FDM
• Basic weight & load control
• 3 HQ liveries
• Cockpit & instrument lights
• Immatriculation
• Help menu
• Advisor of VNE and G limits exceed
• Shaders for GIT: NormalMap & Reflect
• Basic particle systems: water drop, pesticide & motor smoke
• In-built cropdusting pipes (basic model, hidden for now, but editable on xml files)

To do

• Fix some engine Tº issues
• Improved fuel, hydraulic and electrical systems
• Nasal-based instrumentation, where default property-tree has no items
• More realistic startup procedure
• Realistic crop dusting and firefighting systems, nasal-based

Airplane of the Week/Month

The Dromader was reviewed as 'Airplane of the Week/Month' on August 15, 2011 as follows:

Model

The Dromader is one of the models whose visuals simply look stunning. It seems incredible to see a plane rendered in detail down to single screws in real time - and yet there it is (although one needs a fairly powerful system).

The Dromader isn't a very complex plane, and so the cockpit is comparatively simple, and yet created with a lot of detail. It also illustrates nicely the principle that empty surfaces textured to look like some material give a far better overall impression than surfaces textured with a pure color. Not all of the switches in the cockpit are functional, but those that are are linked to animations of exterior lights for instance.

If anything, the exterior model is even nicer than the cockpit. Especially the wings and the engine look quite spectacular.

The plane also comes with a nice animation for the release of pesticide, as well as opening of various doors.

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Flight characteristics

The Dromader is a crop-duster, and the JSBSim FDM reflects that quite well. When empty, the engine is fairly powerful, so the plane can operate from a very short field and climb quite rapidly, making it ideal for outback flying. With full payload, the flight characteristics is significantly changed, the plane accelerates and climbs noticeably slower. Neither configuration is suitable for aerobatics or rapid turns, the structural limits of the airframe are reached quite soon (they are implemented as on-screen printed warnings rather than as actual failures of the plane).

Dromader M18 For Sale

The plane is not difficult to fly - it has fairly mild stall characteristics and handles well. It is a tail dragger, but compared with WW II warbirds the problems associated with the sudden lift of the tail during takeoff are mild, so it is a good plane to get familiar with the concept.

My personal wishlist

Procedures are currently very simple - a more realistic startup for instance would be nice. I also found that the animation of pesticide release even works if the tank is empty - a couple of small things like this would improve the plane a bit.

Things to experience

Dromader Usa

Do the obvious - take a full tank of pesticide, find a nice field somewhere close and drop it - watch the plane suddenly shoot up into the air as the load is released. It's fun.

Related content

Pzl M18 Dromader

Forum topics

• [Update] PZL M18B Dromader topic on the forum - Official development topic

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