British helicopter operator Skycharter UK yesterday announced an order for three single-turboshaft, five-seat SW4 helicopters from PZL Swidnik of Poland.
The Biggin Hill-based commercial rotary-wing company has also been appointed as PZL’s sole UK dealer. “We have long needed a high-performance helicopter to back up and partially replace our current fleet of Bell 206 JetRangers and LongRangers,” says Gary Slater, Skycharter managing director and a 6,000hr rotary-wing pilot.
“The SW4 solves the problem, with its five-and-a-half-hour endurance, 130kt cruising speed and useful payload capacity – the luggage compartment can take four sets of golf clubs.”
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With first delivery due before next January, the aircraft will be the first SW4s on the British registry. “We’re particularly pleased with this order because the UK is well known as a particularly demanding market,” says PZL’s Jan Masur.
The SW4 received EASA certification last September and is now being marketed in the Far East and western Europe. Including the Skycharter agreement, orders total six aircraft so far following single-aircraft sales in China, South Korea and the Ukraine. “Our marketing effort is focused on the Far East but we’re also hopeful of further orders in western Europe, particularly to training establishments and to corporations for use as an executive transport,” says Masur.
PZL has also delivered 10 examples of a military trainer version of the SW4 to the Polish Air Force and plans to supply a further 16 by the end of next year.
Source: Flight International
