Kraków 01-08-2024
Geographical coordinates: 50.135N 19.842E.
Museum in Tomaszowice near Krakow. 2024
The Tomaszowice Rescue Museum has been enriched with another aircraft; a PZL W-3 AS Sokół rescue helicopter. The exhibit has travelled a long way from the Canary Islands to Tomaszowice. The helicopter is a gift from the manufacturer, the PZL Świdnik factory, to the museum. The helicopter was transported by the M-Air company from Chocznia. In Tomaszowice, firefighters from the School of Aspirants of the State Fire Service in Kraków took part in unloading the helicopter.
The PZL W-3 AS Sokół helicopter has the serial number 31.03.10 and was manufactured in 1990, for the Muscovites and their airline AEROFŁOT. The helicopter was painted in white and blue colours. In the Muscovite state, the helicopter flew with the registration mark CCCP-04113. But in 1991, the world’s largest airline AEROFLOT (it was a separate ministry) collapsed. The helicopter was returned to Poland because the Muscovites had not paid for it.
The helicopter went to the Polish Heliseco company and received the registration marks SP-SYB. The blue-and-white painting was left, but the operational markings were changed. The machine was modernised and adapted to rescue and firefighting tasks. The machine was sent to assist in rescue operations in Spain, together with other machines. The helicopter was used in the Galicia region and in the Canary Islands. At that time, the helicopter was given a new paint scheme; yellow and silver, and the lifting rotor blades were given a red and white paint scheme. The helicopter was given the registration EC-JPB and the inscriptions INEER XUNTA DE GALICIA.
In 2021, the machine reached the end of its service life and, according to the contract, PZL Świdnik became its owner. In 2023, PZL Świdnik donated the helicopter to the collection of the Tomaszowice Rescue Museum. Currently, the helicopter can be seen in an open-air exhibition at the Tomaszowice Manor, alongside the other three helicopters described in the previous article.
Data T-T PZL W-3 Sokół:
Carrier rotor diameter 15.70 m. Tail rotor diameter 3.00 m. Maximum length with rotor spinning 18.85 m. Fuselage width 3.25 m. Unladen weight 3,850 kg. Total mass 5,810 kg. Maximum mass 6,000 – 6,400 kg. Payload mass 2 490 kg. Payload mass 1 200 – 1 500 kg. Maximum speed 250 – 260 km/h. Cruising speed 220 km/h. Vertical climb 2 m/s. Single-engine climb possible at 0.25 m/s. Diagonal climb 9.4 m/s. Hovering ceiling without ground effect 1 700 – 1 850 m ( 2 000 – 2 500 m). Practical ceiling 5 000 m. Range 550 – 600 km. Range 734 km. Maximum range with additional fuel tanks 1 100 km.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman