Polish Air Force Sokol
Country
Poland
Aircraft
PZL W-3RL Sokol
Base
Minsk Mazowiecki Air Base
PZL W-3RL Sokol
W-3RL is the Land search and rescue version of the W-3 Sokol used by the Polish Air Force. The PZL W-3 Sokol (English: "Falcon") is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multipurpose helicopter developed and manufactured by Polish helicopter company PZL-Swidnik (now AgustaWestland Świdnik). It was the first helicopter entirely designed and produced in Poland.
The helicopter employs a relatively conventional design and construction. It is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Rzeszów-built PZL-10B turboshaft engines; the original powerplant, the PZL-10W, was based on the earlier PZL-10S – a licensed derivative of the Russian-designed Glushenkov TVD-10B turboprop engines which had powered the Polish-built Antonov An-28. Composites are used in the construction of the three-bladed tail and four-bladed main rotors.
The Sokol has been offered in a number of diverse variants and is capable of performing a typical range of helicopter missions, including passenger transport, VIP, cargo, EMS, medevac, firefighting and search and rescue. When used in maritime environments, the rotorcraft is typically outfitted with floats, a transponder, a global positioning system navigation system, night-vision equipment, and a Lucas winch
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