Since United Technologies and (now) Airbus split up PZL starting I believe about 2005, the status of Franklin engines in Poland has been unclear to many. The original reason for PZL buying Franklin in the 70s must have been something to do with PZL’s similar purchase of the Rallye design. Certainly some French built Rallyes had Franklin engines but that was 50 years ago…
To me the ‘elephant in the room’ is whether Polish built Franklins have ever actually been produced in measurable quantity since 1975, what aircraft they have been used on, and with that in mind what their current business might be? All I’ve ever seen is a few 220 HP engines supplied for STC installation on Stinsons and C175s – but that is only a very few engines.
Actually, I believe the original intent was for PZL to put the bigger Franklins on their Seneca, the PZL M20 Mewa – which now has been bought out by our friends from the East – Jiangesu. But yes, the smaller one made it to the Rallye clones PZL was making, the original PZL-110 Koliber; the later and larger models – the -150, -160 and the PZL-111 Koliber 235 were powered by Lycoming engines (O-320 and O-520 or 540 – sources differ, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was both).
@ArcticChiller – reach out to me directly and I can certainly call them and ask, although I’ll be surprised if they don’t have someone that speaks English around. That said, they do not reply to emails well – I’ve been waiting for a reply all this week, and all I wanted was some XC 20W50 and Camguard…
