The PZL I-22 Iryda, otherwise known as the PZL M93 Iryda and PZL M96 Iryda, was a twin-engine, two-seat military jet trainer aircraft developed and produced by Polish aviation company PZL Mielec. Work started on what would become the Iryda in 1976 as a successor to the indigenously-developed TS-11 Iskra jet trainer. First flying on 3 March 1985, the type would have a protracted development, partly due to the initial unavailability of its PZL K-15 turbojet engines. The Polish Air Force received the first K-15-powered Irydras in May 1995. However, aircraft deliveries were complicated by disputes over cost and performance, leading to multiple announcements, policy reversals, and groundings of the type. A fatal accident involving the type on 24 January 1996 fuelled criticism and undermined support for the programme. In 1996, an agreement was struck to upgrade the existing aircraft to a new standard, flight testing of which commenced the following year. However, relations between PZL Mielec and the Polish Defense Ministry became so poor over the programme that legal action was initiated while the Iryda itself languished. In the late 1990s Polish Government support for the programme was withdrawn, and the handful of delivered aircraft were stored. Despite attempts to revive the programme by PZL Mielec, no orders have been forthcoming. Development Early work In 1976, the Warsaw Institute of Aeronautics (Polish: Instytut Lotnictwa) initiated work on a program to develop a new jet-powered trainer aircraft; this was primarily envisioned to replace the Polish Air Force's existing TS-11 Iskra fleet, an indigenously-developed first generation jet trainer aircraft. A key feature of the new type would be its PZL K-15 turbojet engines, which were also locally designed by the Warsaw Institute of Aeronautics. Subsequently dubbed Iryda, the aircraft was designed by PZL Mielec (then WSK-Mielec). On 3 March 1985, the first prototype conducted the type's maiden flight. Early examples of the type were powered by a pair of PZL-5s, an older generation turbojet engine; these were considered to be underpowered and were only intended as a temporary measure while issues with the newer K-15 were being resolved. Following the Revolutions of 1989, Poland soon gained greater accessibility to international markets; this had an impact upon the fledgling Iryda. It was chosen to adopt a British-developed Martin-Baker Mk.10 ejection seat; consideration was reportedly given to the incorporation of foreign-sourced avionics from French aeronautics company SAGEM. During May 1995, the first pair