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The PZL SW-4 Puszczyk (en: tawny owl) is a Polish light single-engine multipurpose helicopter manufactured by PZL-Świdnik. Following a protracted development, the SW-4 entered service in 2002. The primary operator of the type has been the Polish Armed Forces. The SW-4 was further developed by PZL-Świdnik and corporate parent AgustaWestland into an optionally piloted vehicle, the SW-4 Solo. From 2016 onwards, the type has been marketed to civil operators as the AW009, while the SW-4 designation is used for the military market. Around 1981, development work at PZL-Swidnik was started on a new four/five place light utility helicopter. By May 2002, the two prototypes had accumulated a total of 640 flight hours. On 27 September 2007, type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was received. Following on from the certification of the Rolls-Royce model, PZL Swidnik pursued a separate re-certification for a modified SW-4 fitted with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW200 powerplant as an alternative option.

Further development

The SW-4 as planned was expected to fulfill a range of utility missions ranging from civil and executive transport to Medevac, police, border patrol duties, and some of military pilot training tasks; however, for several years the Polish military had served as the type's only customer. In Polish service, 24 SW-4, with a military name Puszczyk, has been used as a training rotorcraft, replacing the Mil Mi-2, at "The Center of Aviation Education and Training at Dęblin" (Ośrodek Szkolenia Lotniczego w Dęblinie).

In January 2004, Indonesian Aerospace (IAe) was in the process of negotiating a risk-sharing agreement to set up a local assembly line for the SW-4, dependent upon an order from the Indonesian National Police.

In October 2005, PZL-Świdnik revealed that it was conducting talks with Rolls-Royce over the prospective use of a more powerful variant of the SW-4's Model 250C20R powerplant; at the same point, it was publicly acknowledged that the development of a stretched, twin-engine development of the SW-4 was under active consideration, and that this would be dependent upon export sales of the present model. In February 2009, Rolls-Royce stated that it was holding talks with PZL-Świdnik on the prospective use of its newly developed Rolls-Royce RR500 engine on future derivatives of the SW-4.

thumb|left|SW-4 under construction, 2011

PZL-Świdnik's parent company, AgustaWestland chose to use the SW-4 as the basis for an optionally manned rotorcraft, the PZL-Świdnik SW-4 Solo. In 2011, development of an optionally-manned demonstrator began. The SW-4 Solo was first was shown at the MSPO 2012 in Poland as "SW-4 Solo" RUAS/OPH platform (Rotorcraft Unmanned Air System/Optionally Piloted Helicopter). In 2013, AgustaWestland was given a Royal Navy contract for the SW-4 Solo's development as part of the UK's RWUAS (Rotary Wing Unmanned Air System) Capability Concept Demonstrator (CCD) programme. Development of the SW-4 Solo is also being supported by the Italian Ministry of Defence's Directorate for Air Armaments under the Italian National Military Research Plan. By September 2015, the SW-4 Solo had performed a total of 26 demonstration flights, which included simulated shipboard integration tests. In November 2015, AgustaWestland stated that the SW-4 Solo was "ready for sale".

In 2006, PZL-Świdnik entered into an agreement with China's Jiujiang Hongying Technology Development Ltd. which aimed for the establishment of an SW4 assembly line in Jiujiang, China. In December 2008, a type certification for the SW-4 was issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. In late February 2010, the maiden flight of the first SW-4 to be co-produced in China took place; in the same month, PZL Swidnik announced an agreement to produce 150 helicopters, an unspecified number of which being the SW-4, were to be produced for the Chinese market at Jiujiang. By March 2015, a total of five co-produced SW-4s had been delivered to Chinese customers.

In February 2016, an upgraded model of the SW-4 for the civil market, designated as the AW009, was revealed at Heli-Expo. Amongst the changes to this commercial variant include flight performance changes to provide for increased smoothness and greater control authority, the integration of a mass vibration absorber, the adoption of a Genesys Aerospace glass cockpit common to the larger AgustaWestland AW119 Koala, hydraulic improvements, and an optional upgraded Model 250-C30R engine.

Design

thumb|PZL SW-4 #0203 of Polish Air Force

The SW-4 is powered by a single 335&nbsp;kW (450 shp) (283&nbsp;kW/380 shp max continuous rated) Rolls-Royce Model 250C20R/2 turboshaft engine, which drives the rotorcraft's three-blade main rotor and two-blade tail rotor. An alternative engine is provided in the form of the 460&nbsp;kW (615 shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PW200/9 turboshaft engine. The main rotor is fully articulated and the rotor blades on both the main and tail rotors are composed of composite materials. The SW-4 uses hydraulic flight controls, the rotorcraft has been promoted as possessing excellent flight controls, and can be flown in both day and night visual flight rules conditions.

The SW-4 is capable of transporting up to five people, including a pilot, in crashworthy seats; passengers are provided with a high level of external visibility and comfort, an optional vibration absorption system is also offered.

Specifications (SW-4)

thumb|SW-4 on static display, 2010

thumb|Flight controls of a SW-4, 2007

See also

References

  • List of all SW-4 helicopters used by Polish Air Force
  • Description on manufacturer's page
  • SW-4 Production list, Program history
  • SW-4 Photo gallery