The Koliber 150 has a rather convoluted history. The current aircraft is a development of the P.Z.L. 110, which in turn is a development of the Socata Rallye 100ST, which in turn is a development of the Morane Saulnier 880.
The original Morane Saulnier M.S.880 made its first flight on June 10, 1959. The 2/3 seat aircraft, powered by a 100hp Continental O-200 went into production the following year, and became known as the Rallye-Club due to its intended market. A 105hp Potez powered version was known as the M.S.881. The follow on M.S.885 with was uprated to 145hp Continental first flew on January 1 1961, and was known as the Super Rallye. The M.S.890 Rallye Commodore with a 150hp Lycoming was the first four seat version. The M.S.893 was intended as an agricultural aircraft, but was developed as a tourer instead with the 180hp O-360-A2A engine. A more powerful version, the 220hp Franklin 6A350-C1 powered Rallye Minerva followed.
Morane-Saulnier became a subsidiary of Sud-Aviation in 1965. The Society de Contruction de Tourisme et d'Affaires (SOCATA) was formed the following year - also as a subsidiary of Sud-Aviation. (various mergers and other rearrangments have resulted in SOCATA now being a subsidiary of Aerospatiale). SOCATA continued the construction and development of the Rallye, and over 3000 were built. The name was continued until 1979, when SOCATA introduced new names to the developments. The SOCATA Galopin follows on from the 110hp Avco Lycoming powered Rallye 110ST, the Galerian follows on from the O-540 powered Rallye 180T intended for glider towing, and the Gabier follows on from the O-540 powered Rallye 235GT high performance STOL model.
The P.Z.L.110 is a licence built version of the SOCATA Rallye 100ST. Powered by a license built Franklin 4A-235-B1, the first flight of the Polish version was made on April 18, 1978. Intended as a 2-4 seat model, the aircraft was upgraded, and production amounted to 10 Series I, 25 Series II, and 45 Series III aircraft. In 1987 a new version was proposed. Powered by a 150hp Lycoming O-320-E2A, this was known as the Koliber 150 (Koliber means Hummingbird). The prototype aircraft (SP-PHA) first flew on September 27, 1988. A further development, the Koliber 235 (235hp Textron Lycoming O-540-B4B5) was announced in 1991.
One Koliber 150 appears on the New Zealand register. ZK-RTB (c/n 3930056) was imported by Dougal Dallison of Alternate Aviation. The aircraft is now based in Rotorua, and is illustrated below. In addition six M.S.880B (BZZ c/n 9?, CBU c/n 5199, CBX c/n 5202, CDE c/n 5201, CKK c/n 5346, CKM c/n 5348), one M.S.885 (CDF c/n 5248), one M.S.893E (FOX c/n 12573), and one M.S. Rallye 235E (RLY c/n 12770) appear on the New Zealand active register, as at August 1, 1999.
Last Update:- 12 September, 1999
© 1999 Phillip Treweek, all rights reserved