PZL W-3 Sokól
Encyclopedia
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W-3 Sokół
W-3A Sokół
W-3AS Sokół
W-3A2 Sokół
W-3AM Sokół
W-3T Sokół
W-3P Sokół
W-3S Sokół
W-3W / W-3WA Sokół
W-3R Sokół
W-3RL Sokół
W-3RM / W-3WARM Anakonda
W-3PSOT / W-3PPD Gipsówka
W-3RR Procjon
W-3PL Głuszec
W-3B Jastrząb
W-3K Huzar
W-3L Sokół Long
W-3MS Sokół
W-3U Salamandra
W-3U-1 Aligator
W-3WB Huzar
W-3WS Sokół
Ras al-Khaimah
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.- Basic (unarmed) transport variant used by PolishPolish Air ForceThe Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
, CzechCzech Air ForceThe Czech Air Force is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. The Air Force, with the Land Forces, comprises the Joint Forces, the main combat power of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic...
and Myanmar Air Force.
W-3P Sokół
- Military passenger version used by Polish NavyPolish NavyThe Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
.
W-3S Sokół
- VIP transport version used by Polish Air ForcePolish Air ForceThe Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
.
W-3W / W-3WA Sokół
- Armed version, with twin 23mm GSz-23Ł cannon and four pylons for weapons used by Polish Land ForcesPolish Land ForcesThe Polish Land Forces are a branch of Poland's Armed Forces. They currently contain some 65,000 active personnel and form many components of EU and NATO deployments around the world.-History:...
. W-3WA is a variant with FAR-29 certificate.
W-3R Sokół
- Medical evacuation version used by PolishPolish Air ForceThe Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
and Czech Air ForceCzech Air ForceThe Czech Air Force is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. The Air Force, with the Land Forces, comprises the Joint Forces, the main combat power of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic...
.
W-3RL Sokół
- Land search and rescueSearch and rescueSearch and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
version used by Polish Air ForcePolish Air ForceThe Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
.
W-3RM / W-3WARM Anakonda
- "Anakonda" (Polish for "AnacondaAnacondaAn anaconda is a large, non-venomous snake found in tropical South America. Although the name actually applies to a group of snakes, it is often used to refer only to one species in particular, the common or green anaconda, Eunectes murinus, which is one of the largest snakes in the world.Anaconda...
") Navalized search and rescueSearch and rescueSearch and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
version used by Polish NavyPolish NavyThe Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
. W-3WARM is a variant with FAR-29 certificate.
W-3PSOT / W-3PPD Gipsówka
- "Gipsówka" (Polish for "GypsophilaGypsophilaGypsophila —commonly known as baby's-breath in the United States and Canada, "soap wort" in the United Kingdom, elsewhere Gypsophila—is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Europe, Asia and north Africa. Many species are found on calcium-rich...
") 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 AviationPolish Land ForcesThe Polish Land Forces are a branch of Poland's Armed Forces. They currently contain some 65,000 active personnel and form many components of EU and NATO deployments around the world.-History:...
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 cannon. Used by Polish Land ForcesPolish Land ForcesThe Polish Land Forces are a branch of Poland's Armed Forces. They currently contain some 65,000 active personnel and form many components of EU and NATO deployments around the world.-History:...
.
W-3RR Procjon
- "Procjon" (Polish for "ProcyonProcyonProcyon is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Minor. To the naked eye, it appears to be a single star, the seventh brightest in the night sky with a visual apparent magnitude of 0.34...
") is a radioelectronic reconnaissance version (RR stands for "Rozpoznanie Radioelektroniczne" - "Radioelectronic Reconnaissance"). Used by Polish Land ForcesPolish Land ForcesThe Polish Land Forces are a branch of Poland's Armed Forces. They currently contain some 65,000 active personnel and form many components of EU and NATO deployments around the world.-History:...
.
W-3PL Głuszec
- "Głuszec" (PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
for "CapercaillieCapercaillieThe Western Capercaillie , also known as the Wood Grouse, Heather Cock or Capercaillie , is the largest member of the grouse family, reaching over 100 cm in length and 6.7 kg in weight. The largest one ever recorded in captivity had a weight of 7.2 kg....
") is a PZL W-3 upgrade program to bring armed variant of Sokół up to 21st century standards by including advanced avionic systems (in Glass cockpit configuration) and other changes like FADEC-equipped engines or FLIR. The first prototype (s/n: 360901) was tested by the Land Forces aviation in 2009. At the beginning of 2010 four helicopters (including prototype) are undergoing testing and evaluation.
Prototypes and proposals
Prototypes and proposals that were not adopted by Armed Forces.W-3B Jastrząb
- Proposed armed version with tandem cabine (like AH-1 Cobra) and guided AT rockets.
W-3K Huzar
- Proposed armed version with guided AT rockets. Modification by Kentron company tested in South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in early 1990s. Some elements like hardpoint were used in serial W-3W/W-3WA variant.
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-24WMil Mi-24The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
. Only one built, later converted into transport variant and sold to MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
.
W-3U-1 Aligator
- Proposed anti-submarine version.
W-3WB Huzar
- Proposed armed version with guided AT rockets.
W-3WS Sokół
- Proposed gunship version.
Military operators
- Czech Air ForceCzech Air ForceThe Czech Air Force is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. The Air Force, with the Land Forces, comprises the Joint Forces, the main combat power of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic...
received eleven W-3A aircraft in exchange for ten MiG-29Mikoyan MiG-29The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a fourth-generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other...
fighters.
- Iraqi Air ForceIraqi Air ForceThe Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
received two W-3A (serialled 370912 and 370914) aircraft in 2006 but contract was rejected and both helicopters were returned to PZL Świdnik.
- Myanmar Air Force received 13 aircraft - 12 W-3 and one W-3UT.
- Polish Air ForcePolish Air ForceThe Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
- 36. Specjalny Pułk Lotnictwa Transportowego
- Polish Land Forces AviationPolish Land ForcesThe Polish Land Forces are a branch of Poland's Armed Forces. They currently contain some 65,000 active personnel and form many components of EU and NATO deployments around the world.-History:...
- 47. Szkolny Pułk Śmigłowców
- 66. Dywizjon Lotniczy
- 3. Eskadra Lotnictwa Transportowo-Łącznikowego
- Samodzielna Grupa Powietrzno-Szturmowa operating in Iraq.
- GROMGROMGROM is one of five special forces units of the Polish Armed Forces. It was officially activated on July 8, 1990...
special forces operated one W-3SP (serial 390510) aircraft.
- Polish NavyPolish NavyThe Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
- 1. Dywizjon Lotnictwa Marynarki Wojennej
- 28. Eskadra Lotnictwa Marynarki Wojennej
- 29. Eskadra Lotnictwa Marynarki Wojennej
- Philippine Air ForcePhilippine Air ForceThe Philippine Air Force is the air force of the Republic of the Philippines, and one of the three main services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas....
ordered 8 W-3A units for its Combat Utility Helicopter (CUH) requirement, 4 units scheduled for delivery 4th quarter of 2011.
- Vietnamese People's Air Force received eight aircraft - four W-3S and four W-3RM
Law Enforcement operators
- PoliceLandespolizeithumb|[[Germany|German]] police officer in [[Hamburg]]The Landespolizei are the main police forces of Germany. They are under the sole jurisdiction, funded and operated by the states of Germany.-History:...
of SaxonySaxonyThe Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
bought two W-3A (serialled 370503 and 370708 and registered respectively D-HSNA and D-HSNB) aircraft.
- PolicjaPolicjaPolicja is the generic name for the police in Poland. The Polish police force was known as policja throughout the Second Polish Republic , and in modern post-communist Republic of Poland since 1990. Its current size is 103.309 officers and ca. 12.000 civilian employees...
- Straż Graniczna
Ras al-Khaimah
- Ras Al Khaimah Police operated W-3A (serial 370515) aircraft.
- Daegu Fire Department operated W-3A (serial 370802) aircraft.
- Choong Nam Fire Department received W-3AM (serial 370814) aircraft.
- POLRI Indonesian Police Department.
Civil operators
- Corporación Nacional ForestalCorporación Nacional ForestalCorporación Nacional Forestal , Chile's National Forest Corporation, is a Chilean government agency that is part of Agriculture Ministry. It administrates the forestal policies of Chile and promotes the development of the sector with sustainable forest management. Conaf was created on May 13, 1970...
received one W-3A (serial 370917, CC-ACJ) aircraft on September 30, 2010.
- Eliwork bought one W-3AM (serial 370705, I-SOKL)and one W-3AS (serial 310314, I-SOKO) aircraft.
- Okada AirOkada AirOkada Air was an airline based in Benin City, Nigeria. The company started doing charter flights in 1979, and started regular operations in 1983...
bought one W-3 (serial 310413) aircraft registered as 5N-UYI.
- Heliseco
- Lotnicze Górskie Pogotowie Ratunkowe received W-3RL (serial 370502) aircraft.
- Petrobaltic Gdańsk bought W-3RM (serial 390513) aircraft.
- PZL Świdnik owns several aircraft for test duties.
- Tatrzańskie Ochotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe received W-3A (serial 370507) aircraft.
- Helibravo operated one W-3AM aircraft registered as CS-HFA.
- PANH Company bought W-3 (serial 310801) aircraft.
- DenelDenelDenel Ltd is a South African state owned aerospace and defence technology conglomerate established in 1991. It was created when the manufacturing subsidiaries of Armscor were split off in order for Armscor to become the procurement agency for South African Defence Force , now known as the South...
operated one W-3K aircraft registered as ZU-AGU.
- Helikorea bought W-3A (serial 370509) aircraft.
- Citi Air bought W-3AM (serial 370514) aircraft.
- AeroflotAeroflotOJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
operated 20 aircraft, most were transferred to Heliseco company.
- Helibravo bought W-3A2 (serial 370508) and W-3AM (370705) aircraft.
- Hispánica de Aviación bought nine aircraft - five W-3AS, three W-3AM and one W-3A.
- Vietnam Air Service CompanyVietnam Air Service CompanyVietnam Air Service Company , also known as VASCO, is an airline in Vietnam, headquartered in Tân Bình, Ho Chi Minh City. Operating scheduled flights from its base at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to the south of the country, VASCO is a fully owned subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines, it also...
bought W-3AM (serial 370804) aircraft.