Aviation Photo #0447261 PZL-Mielec M-15 Belphegor - Untitled

Now there's a face only a mother could love.

Looks like an offspring of a Kamov helicopter and an An-2.

I can understand the scare in those days, they could've been used for deploying VX or any other agent.

A Jet powered biplane?!?! Whodathunk? For everyone who says that former Soviet-Bloc planes are clones of western planes, I point to this. Sure, the IL-76 is a knock off of the C-141, the AN-124 has many similarities to the C-5. But, there are many, many more examples - such as this - of planes from the Eastern Bloc that exist nowhere else in the world.

Whoever designed this had one too many vodkas. Yikes!

I'm not sure why, but I think this aircraft is an incredible machine. It's purpose built (albeit the purpose is contriversial), not driven by appearence and rugged. I'd love to fly/own one of the C337 on steriods!

Whether people like the look or not, I'm sure it has been a good design for what it's intended to do.

I applaud to the remark about the similarities to western designs, it's a clear indication here again, that those design copies were in fact somewhat successful, and those designs which appear totally unique never made it in real life.
Or does somebody think of a few hundred cropdusters with jet propulsion bought by the state owned aircraft operator aeroflot is a success?

So I can see how the economics would fail as an Ag plane, but with the implied performance of jet + biplane, perhaps some potential as a fire fighting aircraft? Not as versatile as a helicopter, but
likely much less expensive to operate / maintain. As mentioned, most unique designs seem to fade away...

That is one ugly machine.

Meet the A-10 Warthog's dim-witted little brother... :)

Looks like a pretty smart design to me. Engine, fuel tanks and chemical tanks right on the CofG so likely very little trim change required during use. Great vision for the pilot too with those big windows. It would have been a gas guzzler though, jets aren't so efficient at low altitude and low speeds. Thanks for showing it.

Certainly very unique! Great shot.

What a fantastic machine, I love it, and would love to see one fly! There are so many unique soviet designs we know nothing about here in the west... This one should definitely be preserved, as should the MiG's in the background. So sad to see them in this state..

Well, after all it´s not a soviet built aircraft !
It was constructed and built by PZL in Poland which was part of the eastern bloc - but never part of the soviet union !

Whoever designed this should have his license revoked