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#1607 W-3A Sokol

W-3A Sokol
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£10.00 €11.98 $12.68
43.8 cm x 29.2 cm
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W-3A Sokol
0711
243 Sqn
Praha - Kbely
Czech Republic - Air Force
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Description

Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1607 - 0711, W-3A Sokol, 243rd Helicopter Squadron, 24th Transport Air Force Basge Praha-Kbely.

The W-3A Sokol, meaning “Falcon” in English, is a Polish-designed, medium-sized, twin-engined, multi-purpose helicopter manufactured by PZL-Świdnik. The type was delivered to the Czech Air Force between September 1996 and February 1997, with eleven examples being exchanged for ten MiG-29 fighter aircraft. 2021, therefore, marks the 25th anniversary of the W-3A Sokol in service with the air arm. The Czech Air Force currently operates ten examples of the W-3A Sokol, all of which are now based at the 24th Transport Air Force Base at Praha-Kbely. There are two basic variants: a rescue variant for both SAR (Search And Rescue) and HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) and a transport variant. The W-3A has been operated in the SAR and HEMS roles since 1997 and it can claim to have saved more than 10,000 lives, including during operations in serious country-wide flooding of 1997 and 2002 as well as the flash floods in the northern region of Bohemia in August 2010. The transport version is capable of carrying up to 12 passengers or 2,100 kg of material. For firefighting, the Czech Air Force also uses so called “bambi bucket” on W-3A helicopters. The depicted helicopter, tail number 0711, was delivered to the Czech Air Force in September of 1996 as a transport multi-mission version and was painted with standard Czech Air Force green and grey camouflage scheme. This particular airframe has logged more than 3,500 flight hours within the Czech Air Force since its delivery in 1996. It is equipped with a rescue hoist that allows the crew to hoist up to 270 kilograms, i.e. two persons per cycle, from 100 meter depth. The SX-16 searchlight (bottom right under the nose) is used for illumination of the nighttime landing zones and for search purposes. The rope console allows the crew to lift up to 600 kilograms of suspended cargo. Helicopter is capable of performing sling-load operations, with a maximum load weight of 2,100 kilograms.

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