PZL-230X 'Skorpion'

[Spinners 15,986]

Started in the mid-1980's the PZL-230 'Skorpion Projekt' was an ambitious attempt to provide the Polish Air Force with an affordable modern attack aircraft but in 1990 the Polish Air Force cranked in further requirements for speed, range and payload leading to a heavier and ultimately more expensive aircraft. By 1991 Poland was enduring a difficult transition from a communist to a capitalist economy and the project appeared to be heading for cancellation but the management team at PZL Okęcie were convinced that a sizeable market existed for the 'Skorpion Projekt' and actively sought a partner to develop their design eventually approaching several aerospace companies in Europe, the US and former USSR but to no avail. However, in January 1992 representatives from the state-owned Parani Aviation Company (PAC - who had developed the indigenous Piranha jet fighter in the late 1950's) contacted PZL to propose a collaboration to develop and produce the Skorpion for their respective air forces and for export.

 

At an early stage it was agreed to have two assembly lines with PZL to be responsible for all Polish orders and subsequent European exports and PAC to be responsible for all Parani orders and all exports outside of Europe. It is understood that Paran agreed to accept a higher split on development costs because of the wider export market open to them. With heavy financial backing from oil-rich Paran the design and development moved quickly and the prototype Skorpion took to the skies in October 1995 and was soon joined by the first of a pre-production batch of 8 Skorpions eventually forming a bi-service development squadron based in Paran and taking advantage of the clear skies over the Parani desert.

 

Paran claimed priority for deliveries and formed the first Skorpion squadron in 1998 with Poland deferring deliveries for their own air force until 2001 due to financial pressures but by this time the Skorpion had become a modest export success with PZL securing exports to many of the former Soviet Union client states but with PAC only exporting a few Skorpions to Syria.

 

 

 

 

 

[/url]http://combatace.com/files/file/8772-pzl-230-f-skorpion/

 

 

http://combatace.com...ion-co-piranha/

Edited June 3, 2012 by Spinners

[Spinners 15,986]

PZL-230F 'Skorpion' - Moldovan Air Force, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2012 by Spinners

[mdatelmi 124]

Great camo schemes here!

[Spinners 15,986]

Great camo schemes here!

 

Thanks mate. The Parani one uses one of the original skins with my decals whilst the Moldovan 'Lizaard Splinter' one is by me created using the very nice Skorpion template from the SF1 downloads section.

[Spinners 15,986]

PZL-230F 'Skorpion' - Ukrainian Air Force, 2010

 

 

[dsawan 624]

cool like the ukrainanian one.

[Vampyre 24]

What about the Skoshi Scorpion?

[Spinners 15,986]

Very good Vampyre! It's a ton of fun and a great mud mover.

[osamabinladen89 8]

Hey guys on that Skoshi version pic,that explosion,where did you download the effect?

[kblomkvist 433]

I've made some new skins for this bird and then I realised that this very old thread exists 

I need to find some other fuel tanks for this aircraft because the original ones are too wide, change the canopy glass tint to something more reallistic (this blueish hue looks weird) and work on some loadouts. The grey skin is one of the original skins with changed decals. Both green skins are loosely based on contemporary or historical Su-25 liveries and the blue one is quite free interpretation of a skin @EricJ once made for the MiG-29.

[Stratos 3,188]

This one will be perfect too...

[kblomkvist 433]

Yeah, but the pattern is a bit tricky and would have to be done by hand, not with availabe brushes etc. in order to make it look good.

[Stratos 3,188]

Makes perfect sense.

[kblomkvist 433]

WIP

[kblomkvist 433]

[+EricJ 4,244]

Looks pretty cool

[Stratos 3,188]

Simply WOW!!

[kblomkvist 433]

I have a question to you all. What cockpit replacement would you suggest for the Skorpion? The EF-2000 pit seems to be a little too sophisticated for such an aircraft.

[Stratos 3,188]

A-10?

[kblomkvist 433]

9 hours ago, Stratos said:

A-10?

Not really. It has that massive frame in front of the pilot.