Kraków 2025-05-08
Bell 407GXi registration SN-83XP, nb A-109.
Bell 407 helicopters in the Polish Police.
For many years, the Polish Police, and previously the Ministry of Internal Affairs, have been using Bell helicopters.
Bell Helicopter Textron, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is an industry-leading manufacturer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical lift aircraft and a pioneer of revolutionary aircraft in air travel. The company has its products in 120 countries. The company is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, with factories in Amarillo, Texas, and Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. Bell has partnerships with Agusta and Westland.
The company was founded on July 10, 1935, as Bell Aircraft Corporation by Lawrence Bell in Buffalo, New York. Initially, it built successful combat aircraft that took part in World War II. Later, it built experimental aircraft.
On December 29, 1942, Bell built its first successful helicopter, the Bell 30, thus beginning the company’s career in the field of vertical lift aircraft. Textron purchased Bell in 1960. Bell Aerospace consisted of three divisions of Bell Aircraft Corporation, including the helicopter division. The helicopter division was renamed Bell Helicopter Company and, following the success of the UH-1 Huey helicopter during the Vietnam War, became Textron’s largest division. In January 1976, Textron changed the division’s name to Bell Helicopter Textron.
Bell 407.
Work on the Bell 407 helicopter began in 1993. The Bell 407 helicopter made its first flight on June 29, 1995. The second prototype was flown on July 13, 1995, and already on November 10, 1995, the first flight was made by a serial helicopter. The main production line is located in Canada. By 2017, more than 1,400 copies have been built. The basic version of the helicopter costs more than $ 3 million.
The Bell 407 helicopter is a single-engine, with one main rotor and a tail rotor. The helicopter is a development version of the Bell 206 helicopter and is intended for civilian missions.
The Bell 407 has a main rotor equipped with four composite blades. The main rotor hub is composite and was developed for the United States Army for the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter, replacing the semi-rigid, two-blade rotor. It is powered by a single Rolls-Royce / Allison 250-C47 turbine engine. The cabin accommodates two pilots and five passengers. Most of the airframe is made of composite.
Bell 407GX.
Bell has developed a version of the Bell 407GX, which can perform police tasks; search, rescue, reconnaissance and medical evacuation. The helicopter has Garmin G1000 H-model glass cockpit avionics.
Bell 407GXi in Poland.
At the beginning of 2019, the Polish Police signed a contract for the purchase of three Bell 407GXi helicopters. The contract was signed with the manufacturer of Bell helicopters, Bell Textron Helicopter Inc. based in Fort Worth (USA). Equipping the air force with patrol and observation helicopters allowed for the replacement of the decommissioned, old and worn-out PZL Mi-2 and PZL Kania helicopters.
The Bell 407GXi version is the latest modification of the Bell-407 helicopter, which entered production in 2018. Modern avionics and performance make these helicopters particularly suitable for use in tasks requiring long-term stays in the air, while ensuring low operating costs.
The Bell Group has its European representative office in Prague. On December 6, 2019, the first Bell 407 helicopter was redeployed from the Czech Republic from Prague to Warsaw at the Bemowo-Babice Airport, with the registration OK-KOM. The helicopter was already painted in police colors. When entering service, the helicopter received the registration SN-80XP and nb A-104. The helicopter did not have search devices installed, such as an optoelectronic head and a searchlight. However, it was equipped with the necessary wiring. The devices were installed in the spring of 2020.
Two more helicopters were delivered in the fall of 2020.
Bell 407GXi specifications: Rolls-Royce M250-C47E/4 FADEC engines. Main rotor diameter 10.69 m. Fuselage length 10.57 m. Height 3.30 m. Empty weight 1,224 kg. Take-off weight 2,722 kg. Maximum speed 260 km/h. Cruising speed 246 km/h. Ceiling 4,005 m. Range 728 km. Fuel main tank 484 liters. Fuel auxiliary tank 72 liters.
The Police Aviation Unit in Kraków, on the premises of the Polish Aviation Museum, was established on November 13, 1996. The unit was assigned a PZL Kania helicopter, a PZL Mi-2 helicopter equipped with two engines manufactured by Canada. The same unit was established in Poznań, at Ławica Airport. In Krakow, in 2015, the helipad was fenced and the hangar was renovated.
In 2015, the PZL Kania helicopters ended their service. They were replaced by the PZL W-3 Sokół helicopter, which had the registration SN-34XP nb G002. It served until 2024, when it was replaced by a new Bell-407 GXi helicopter, registration SN-83XP nb A-109. A tanker truck on a Renault car chassis is used to refuel the helicopters.
Tally of Police Aviation helicopters (2025);
Aviation Board of the Staff of the Police Headquarters; 4 Bell-407GXi helicopters; Nb A-104, registration SN-80XP. Nb A-105, registration SN-81XP. Nb A-106, registration SN-82XP. Nb A-112, registration SN-86XP (SP-NYD). 5 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters; Nb A-101, registration SN-70XP. Nb A-102, registration SN-71XP. Nb A-103, registration SN-72XP. Nb A-107, registration SN-73XP (SP-YVK). Nb 108 registration SN-74XP (SP-YVL).
Police Aviation Section of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Krakow: 1 Bell-407GXi nb 109, registration SN-83XP.
Police Aviation Section of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Łódź: 1 Bell-206 JetRanger III registration SN-017XP.
Aviation Section of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław: 1 Bell-407GXi nb A-111, registration SN-85XP. 1 Bell-206 JetRanger III nb A-015, registration SN-16XP.
Police Aviation Section of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Poznań: 1 Bell 407GXi nb A-106, registration SN-82XP.
Police Aviation Section of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Szczecin: 1 Bell-407GXi nb A-110, registration SN-84XP.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman