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By
Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL_W-3_Sok%C3%B3%C5%82
The PZL W-3 Sokół (Polish for "Falcon") is a Polish medium-size, twin-engine, multipurpose helicopter manufactured by PZL-Świdnik.
Development
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PZL W-3 fourth prototype |
The W-3 Sokół ('Falcon') is the first helicopter to be fully designed and serial-built in Poland, and is PZL's most promising sales prospect in the near future.
Work on the project was started at WSK PZL Świdnik in 1973 by the team of Stanisław Kamiński. The Sokół made its first flight on November 16, 1979, and has since been certificated in Poland, Russia, the US and Germany. Following a fairly protracted development program, low rate production of the Sokół commenced during 1985. Initial sales of the general purpose Sokół were within Poland and in the Eastern Bloc, before the collapse of Communism allowed PZL Swidnik to broaden its sales base. To do this PZL Swidnik developed the improved W3A Sokół aimed at achieving Western certification. Certification to US FAR Pt 29 standards was granted in May 1993, while German certification was granted in December of that year.
The Sokół is of conventional design and construction, with two PZL-10W turboshafts, which are based on the PZL-10S - licensed Russian designed TVD-10B turboprops that power the Polish-built An-28. Composites are used in the three-bladed tail and four-bladed main rotors.
The Sokół is offered in a number of variants and is capable of performing a typical range of helicopter missions, including passenger transport, VIP, cargo, EMS, medevac, firefighting and search and rescue.
The 100th Sokół was completed in June 1996.
Operational history
Since 2003, four W-3WA were used by the Independent Air Attack Group (Polish: Samodzielna Grupa Powietrzno-Szturmowa) of the Polish forces in Iraq. One of them (serial number 360902) crashed in an accident near Karbala on 15 December 2004. Three soldiers died, three were wounded.
Variants
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W-3WA - armed version during Airshow 2005 in Radom |
Civil Versions
Civil production versions.
- W-3 Sokół
- Basic civil multi-purpose version.
- W-3A Sokół
- Version with certificate FAR-29.
- W-3AS Sokół
- W-3 airframe converted to W-3A standard.
- W-3A2 Sokół
- Version with two-axsis Smith SN 350 autopilot.
- W-3AM Sokół
- Civil version with floats.
Military Versions
Military production versions.
- W-3T Sokół
- Basic (unarmed) transport variant used by Polish, Czech and Myanmar Air Force.
- W-3P Sokół
- Military passenger version used by Polish Navy.
- W-3S Sokół
- VIP transport version used by Polish Air Force.
- W-3W Sokół
- Armed version, with twin 23mm GSz-23Ł cannon and four pylons for weapons used by Polish Land Forces.
- W-3WA Sokół
- Same like W-3W but based on new W-3A airframe, used by Polish Land Forces.
- W-3R Sokół
- Medical evacuation version used by Polish and Czech Air Force.
- W-3RL Sokół
- Land search and rescue version used by Polish Air Force.
- W-3RM Anakonda
- Navalized search and rescue version used by Polish Navy.
- W-3WARM Anakonda
- Same like W-3RM but based on new W-3A airframe. Used by Polish Navy.
- W-3PSOT / W-3PPD Gipsówka
- W-3PPD was a flying command centre variant (PPD stands for "Powietrzny Punkt Dowodzenia" - "Airborne Command Post"). In 2006 this variant received new digital battlefield (after modernization helicopter is able to guide artillery equipped with Topaz fire control system) and observation systems and was adopted by Polish Land Forces Aviation under new name W-3PSOT (PSOT stands for "Powietrzne Stanowisko Obserwacji Terenu" - "Airborne Observation Post"). This variant is equipped with pylons for weapons (same like in W-3W) but has no 23mm fixed canon. Used by Polish Land Forces.
- W-3RR Procjon
- Radioelectronic reconnaissance version (RR stands for "Rozpoznanie Radioelektroniczne" - "Radioelectronic Reconnaissance"). Used by Polish Land Forces.
Prototypes and proposals
Prototypes and proposals that were not adopted by Armed Forces.
- W-3B Jastrząb
- Proposed armed version with guided AT rockets. Never build and never used by Polish Army.
- W-3K Huzar
- Proposed armed version with guided AT rockets. Modification of Kentron company tested in South Africa in early 1990s.
- W-3L Sokół Long
- Proposed stretched version seating up to 14 passengers, mockup only.
- W-3MS Sokół
- Proposed gunship version
- W-3U Salamandra
- Armed version, with avionics and armament from Mi-24W. Only one built, later converted into transport variant and sold to Myanmar.
- W-3U-1 Aligator
- Proposed anti-submarine version.
- W-3WB Huzar
- Proposed armed version with guided AT rockets. Never build and never used by Polish Army.
- W-3WS Sokół
- Proposed gunship version.
Głuszec upgrade program
"Głuszec" (Polish for "Capercaillie") is a PZL W-3 upgrade program to bring Sokół to 21st century standards. The first prototype (s/n: 360901) should be delivered to Polish Land Forces Aviation this year.
- W-3PL Sokół
- New armed transport/combat support variant for Air Cavalry unit. Polish Army ordered 22 helicopters in this variant as an upgrade of existing W-3W / W-3WA airframes.
- W-3CSAR Sokół
- Special transport/search and rescue variant equipped with advanced observation and enchanted survivability systems. Polish Army ordered 4 helicopters in this variant to support (C)SAR and special operations.
Operators
Military operators
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Polish Government VIP PZL W-3P |
 Czech Republic
 Iraq
- Iraqi Air Force received two W-3A (serialled 370912 and 370914) aircraft in 2006 but contract was rejected and both helicopters were returned to PZL Świdnik.
 Myanmar
 Poland
- Polish Air Force
- 36. Specjalny Pułk Lotnictwa Transportowego
- Polish Land Forces Aviation
- 47. Szkolny Pułk Śmigłowców
- 66. Dywizjon Lotniczy
- 3. Eskadra Lotnictwa Transportowo-Łącznikowego
- Samodzielna Grupa Powietrzno-Szturmowa operating in Iraq.
- GROM special forces operated one W-3SP (serial 390510) aircraft.
- Polish Navy
- 1. Dywizjon Lotnictwa Marynarki Wojennej
- 28. Eskadra Lotnictwa Marynarki Wojennej
- 29. Eskadra Lotnictwa Marynarki Wojennej
 Vietnam
Law Enforcement operators
 Germany
- Police of Saxony bought two W-3A (serialled 370503 and 370708 and registered respectively D-HSNA and D-HSNB) aircraft.
- Poland
 Ras al-Khaimah
 South Korea
Civil operators
 Italy
- Eliwork bought one W-3AM (serial 370705, I-SOKL)and one W-3AS (serial 310314, I-SOKO) aircraft.
 Nigeria
- Okada Air bought one W-3 (serial 310413) aircraft registered as 5N-UYI.
- Poland
 Portugal
- Helibravo operated one W-3AM aircraft registered as CS-HFA.
 Russia
 South Africa
- Denel operated one W-3K aircraft registered as ZU-AGU.
- South Korea
- Helikorea bought W-3A (serial 370509) aircraft.
- Citi Air bought W-3AM (serial 370514) aircraft.
 Soviet Union
- Aeroflot operated 20 aircraft, most were transferred to Heliseco company.
 Spain
- Helibravo bought W-3A2 (serial 370508) and W-3AM (370705) aircraft.
- Hispanica de Aviacion bought nine aircraft - five W-3AS, three W-3AM and one W-3A.
- Vietnam
Specifications (W-3A)
General characteristics
- Crew: 1 or 2 (pilots or pilot and flight engineer)
- Capacity: 12 passengers
- SAR: three medical attendants and eight rescued survivors
- Air Ambulance: four stretchers and one medical attendant
- EMS: one stretcher and medical attendants
- Executive: five or six passengers
- Length: 14.21 m (46 ft 8 in)
- Rotor diameter: 15.70 m (51 ft 6 in)
- Height: 5.14 m (16 ft 10 in)
- Disc area: 193.6 m² (2,034 ft²)
- Empty weight: 3,850 kg (8,488 lb)
- Useful load: kg (kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 6,400 kg (14,110 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× WSKPZL Rzeszów PZL-10W turboshaft, 670 kW (900 shp) each
Performance
See also
External links
Text from Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Published in July 2009.
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