Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH
THE POLISH MINISTRY of the Interior could become the launch customer for the PZL-Swidnik SW-4 light helicopter, which is due to be flown for the first time within weeks.
According to the company, Polish interior minister Zbigniew Siemiatowski has told Swidnik that he wants to buy more police helicopters from the company - including four extra Kania twin-engine multi-purpose helicopters in 1997 - and is particularly interested in the SW-4.
Swidnik says that the minister hopes to equip all eight of the country's large, "first-category", police forces with helicopters.
The maiden flight of the SW-4 has been delayed for over a year because of unexpected static-strength and vibration problems. Swidnik is reluctant to name a date, but estimates suggest that a prototype may be flown in October.
In August, the interior ministry took delivery of its first four Kania helicopters, bought in a $4.7 million deal. The helicopters are powered by twin Allison 250-R20 turboshafts and fitted with AlliedSignal Bendix/King avionics. The aircraft are also fitted with pylon-mounted forward-looking infra-red equipment, searchlights and loudspeakers.
Two of the helicopters are for police duties in Cracow and Poznan, while the other two will patrol borders in the Gdansk-Gdynia-Sopot region.
The introduction of helicopters into police and border-patrol service, in Poland, has led to the formation of a new aviation authority covering civil-security units. Police and border-patrol helicopters are not covered by current Polish aviation law, which dates back to 1962.
The new authority - the Aviation Inspectorate for Civil Security Services of the Ministry of the Interior - will manage aircraft, personnel, safety, training and licensing, as well as accident investigation, and will assign unique PL registration codes to the aircraft.
Source: Flight International
