3 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. W-3 Sokół: No machine-readable author provided. Voytek S assumed (based on copyright claims).· CC BY 2.5
- 2. Czech Air Force PZL W-3A Sokół 0713 Royal International Air Tattoo 2025 05: Julian Herzog ( Website )· CC BY 4.0
- 3. Mariusz Błaszczak along with Rajmund Andrzejczak standing next to PZL W-3 Sokół duirng military exercise in the Lublin and Podlasie region: Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej· CC BY 3.0
what is it?
The PZL W-3 Sokół (English: "Falcon") is a medium-size twin-engine multipurpose helicopter developed and manufactured by Polish helicopter company PZL-Świdnik, which is now owned by Leonardo. It was the first helicopter entirely designed and produced in Poland.
How to recognise it: 2 turboshaft engines · 15.7 m main rotor
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 47 years ago, in 1979.
- Rotor of 15.7 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
turboshaft: A turbine that turns a shaft, usually a helicopter rotor.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1979-11-16
- status
- still flying
- number built
- 149
- role
- multipurpose utility helicopter
- origin
- 🇵🇱 Poland
- makers
- PZL
- engines
- 2× Pratt & Whitney Rzeszów PZL-10B
- crew
- 2
- passengers
- 12
- length
- 14.2 m
- rotor diameter
- 15.7 m
- height
- 5.1 m
- max take-off weight
- 6,400 kg
- top speed
- —
- cruise speed
- 238 km/h
- range
- 745 km
- ceiling
- 4,910 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q764207, Wikipedia: PZL W-3 Sokół (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.