Story ID: 
PZL-Swidnik SW-4 Preps for Certification
By: Bill Wagstaff
Caption: It seems summer is the time of year for somnolent helicopter programs to wake up and stretch their rotors toward the sun…and certification.
Word Count: 184
It seems summer is the time of year for somnolent helicopter programs to wake up and stretch their rotors toward the sun…and certification. According to sources within Polish rotorcrafter PZL-Swidnik, that company has presented the certification documentation for its five-seat SW-4 to Polish aeronautical authorities. Powered by either a 450-shp Rolls-Royce 250-C20R or a 615-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PW200/9 turboshaft, the SW-4 is priced at $700,000. Although the program was begun decades ago, political and economic turmoil delayed the project so long that when it was resumed, program managers thought it best to re-engineer the design with new composite materials and updated powerplants. Painted in provocative candy colors reminiscent of an American hot-rod club meet, a pair of SW-4 prototypes impressed onlookers with their sprightly flying performances at last year’s Paris Air Show. Initial deliveries will include a pair of SW-4s earmarked for the Polish air force, followed by one each to three German operators. As is the custom with many airframe manufacturers, certifications by the aeronautical authorities of individual nations will only follow sales to customers in those nations.