Editing Mielec (section)

===Recent history===
After 1945, the factory became the largest aviation factory in Poland under the name [[PZL Mielec|WSK-Mielec]] "Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego" (English: "Transport Equipment Manufacturing Centre"). This plant was the main source of employment for people in Mielec and surrounding communities. At first, the factory produced Soviet-designed planes under license. Thus, it was the primary production site of the widely used [[Antonov An-2|An-2]] [[Cargo aircraft|transport plane]]. It also manufactured Polish versions of the [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15|MiG-15]] and [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17|MiG-17]]fighters. The factory also built planes designed in Poland such as the trainer plane [[PZL TS-11 Iskra|TS-11 Iskra]] used by Poland and India. It produced over 16,000 aircraft, which were mainly licensed for export to the USSR.

After 1989 and the economic changes due to the [[Revolutions of 1989|fall of communism]], factory orders declined and the plant encountered serious financial difficulties. It continued to produce successful aircraft types, but at much lower volumes than during [[Cold War|the Cold War]]. Self-government of Mielec Township was established in 1990.

The situation changed in 1995, due to the establishment of Poland's first Special [[Economy|Economic]] Zone EURO-PARK Mielec. In 1998 the aviation plant changed its name to [[PZL Mielec|PZL-Mielec]] "Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze" (English: "Polish Aviation Works"). In 2007 the factory was acquired by [[Sikorsky Aircraft|Sikorsky]] (in 2015 Sikorsky was acquired by Lockheed Martin), and was planned to be the main production site of the export version [[UH-60 Black Hawk]] helicopter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=205626 |title=Newest BLACK HAWK Helicopter to Demonstrate Capabilities in First Visit to Poland |publisher=Prnewswire.co.uk |access-date=2008-10-31}}</ref> Also Mielec has been the production site of sports-luxury car [[Leopard (car)|Leopard 6 Litre Roadster]].<ref>[http://www.leopardautomobile.com/ Leopard Automobile official website]</ref><ref>[http://www.leopard.se/history.htm History of Leopard Automobile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100811093035/http://www.leopard.se/history.htm |date=2010-08-11 }}</ref>