Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Centralne Warsztaty Lotnicze |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Defunct | 1939 |
| Fate | ceased to exist due to the war |
| Successors |
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| Headquarters | , |
Key people |
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| Subsidiaries | Podlaska Wytwórnia Samolotów (1937–1939) |
PZL (Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze - State Aviation Works) was the largest Polish aerospace manufacturer of the interwar period, and a brand of their aircraft. Based in Warsaw between 1928 and 1939, PZL introduced a variety of well-regarded aircraft, most notably the PZL P.11 fighter, the PZL.23 Karaś light bomber, and the PZL.37 Łoś medium bomber.
In the post-war era, aerospace factories in Poland were initially run under the name WSK (Transport Equipment Manufacturing Plant), but returned to adopt PZL acronym in late 1950s. This was used as a common aircraft brand and later as a part of names of several Polish state-owned aerospace manufacturers referring to PZL traditions, and belonging to the Zjednoczenie Przemysłu Lotniczego i Silnikowego PZL - PZL Aircraft and Engine Industry Union. Among the better-known products during this period is the PZL TS-11 Iskra jet trainer and PZL-104 Wilga STOL utility aircraft.
After the fall of communism in Poland in 1989, these manufacturers became separate companies, still sharing the PZL name. In the case of PZL Mielec, the abbreviation was later developed as Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze - Polish Aviation Works. Over time, the now-separate divisions were purchased by foreign concerns but many continue to use the PZL brand.