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Aircraft:SE-HPRPhoto date:Type:7 Feb, 2002Operator:Photo views:Location:1643Photo by:This sad image was shot at approx 9:00 am on the morning of February 7th 2002. The police helicopter base had been completely wiped out by an immense fire during the night – destroying three helicopters and an airplane.
The fire broke out in the building at approx 2:00 am. It spread rapidly and as the fire fighting units arrived a half an hour later it proved too late to save the helicopters. The entire building was destroyed together with the three helicopters and a Cessna airplane. The fire wasn’t extinguished until 5:35 am in the morning. As the smoke scattered the melted ruins merged. It was a complete mess of ash and bent metal. The relics of the helicopters could hardly be distinguished among all the debris. A few heaps of metal were the only things that indicated that the hangar had been filled with aircraft the night before. The cause of the fire has never been fully determined.
The helicopters lost in the fire were one brand new EC 135 (SE-HPR) and two Jet Rangers (SE-HIM & SE-HPH). The EC 135 had been delivered in August of 2001 and was the first helicopter of the new generation’s national police aviation. Two other EC 135s had been delivered (SE-HPS & SE-HPT), but they were at other locations that night.rnThe two Jet Rangers were a part of a vanishing generation. SE-HIM was, however, meant to remain in the new Eurocopter-lead organization as a crew trainer due to its NVG capacities and a new main rotor transmission. SE-HPH was destined to be sold, after nearly 23 000 hours in service in the organization.Direct link: http://www.nordicrotors.com/SE-HPR/1408 -
Aircraft:SE-HPR (POLIS 950)Photo date:Type:25 Aug, 2001Operator:Photo views:Location:1165Photo by:The brand new police helicopter was a part of the static exhibition during the celebration of the Air Force's 75th birthday at the F16 Air Force Base in Uppsala. The helicopter was based at Tullinge Airport, moments south of Stockholm.Direct link: http://www.nordicrotors.com/SE-HPR/1411
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Aircraft:SE-HPR (POLIS 950)Photo date:Type:10 Aug, 2001Operator:Photo views:Location:1264Photo by:Photographed at the official display of the new helicopter type in the Police Wing. SE-HPR gave an extraordinary show.Direct link: http://www.nordicrotors.com/SE-HPR/1496
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Aircraft:SE-HPR (POLIS 950)Photo date:Type:10 Aug, 2001Operator:Photo views:Location:988Photo by:Photographed in front of the very hangar that it was destroyed in during the fire six month later. The image was taken during the official premiere of the EC135 in the Police Wing.Direct link: http://www.nordicrotors.com/SE-HPR/1532
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Aircraft:SE-HPR (POLIS 950)Photo date:Type:10 Aug, 2001Operator:Photo views:Location:923Photo by:Photographed at the Tullinge base during the official premiere of the new helicopter in the National Police.Direct link: http://www.nordicrotors.com/SE-HPR/1843
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Aircraft:SE-HPR (POLIS 950)Photo date:Type:10 Aug, 2001Operator:Photo views:Location:961Photo by:A close-up at the belly of the brand new helicopter, shot at the hand-over ceremony.Direct link: http://www.nordicrotors.com/SE-HPR/1844
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Aircraft:SE-HPR (POLIS 950)Photo date:Type:10 Aug, 2001Operator:Photo views:Location:916Photo by:This photo was shot at the official hand-over ceremony at Tullinge Airfield in southern Stockholm. Approx 50 specially invited visitors got to see the brand new state-of-the-art EC 135 helicopter in a breath-taking private air show. Note the special livery - a white tail cone instead of the well-established blue one. This detail was changed at the later delivered helicopters.Direct link: http://www.nordicrotors.com/SE-HPR/1845
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Aircraft:SE-HPR (POLIS 950)Photo date:Type:10 Aug, 2001Operator:Photo views:Location:3203Photo by:Sweden's very first Police-EC135, displayed at the official premiere ceremony.Direct link: http://www.nordicrotors.com/SE-HPR/3728
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Aircraft:D-HECL (POLIS 950)Photo date:Type:2001Operator:Photo views:Location:3989Photo by:Sweden’s first Police EC135, SE-HPR, is seen in Eurocopter’s paint booth at the Donauwörth plant in Germany. The helicopter held a unique white-tail livery, which was changed on the rest of the Police’s EC135s.Direct link: http://www.nordicrotors.com/SE-HPR/1132
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Aircraft:D-HECL (POLIS 950)Photo date:Type:2001Operator:Photo views:Location:831Photo by:Ground tests at the Eurocopter Donauwörth plant in Germany, prior to the delivery. The helicopter was later registered SE-HPR, but was lost in a fire the next year.Direct link: http://www.nordicrotors.com/SE-HPR/1133
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Aircraft:D-HECL (POLIS 950)Photo date:Type:2001Operator:Photo views:Location:849Photo by:SE-HPR (or D-HECL as it was registered during the tests at the factory) is seen taking off from the Eurocopter Donauwörth plant in southern Germany.Direct link: http://www.nordicrotors.com/SE-HPR/1134
SE-HPR
Information about SE-HPR
Aircraft Data
Reg: SE-HPR
S/N: 0189
Year: 2001
Type:
Last known operator:
History:
D-HECL
Fate:

A seventh machine was ordered in May of 2001. All the seven helicopters were ordered through the Eurocopter dealer Michael Savbäck AB and were manufactured at the Eurocopter Deutschland plant at Donauwörth, in southern Germany.
This helicopter, SE-HPR, was constructed in 2001 and was delivered to Sweden in early August the same year. The machine, which was the launch aircraft, was flown to the Stockholm base at Tullinge airfield, the head quarter of the Police Wing at that time. A few days later, on August 10, the aircraft was handed over by Dr. Siegfried Sobotta, Senior Executive Vice President of the Eurocopter Group, to Sten Heckscher, commander of the National Police Board, in a ceremony at the helicopter base. Approx 50 specially invited visitors got to see the brand new state-of-the-art EC 135 helicopter in a breath-taking private air show. The historic day was concluded with the last official in-service landing of the last Bell 47 helicopter (SE-HPG).
SE-HPR had a rather unique livery - the tail cone was white instead of the currently blue coloured tail of the present machines. The white tail cone was said to look too sad and shy, so the detail was changed on the later helicopters.
SE-HPR was given the callsign POLIS 950, a name that was inherited after the Long Ranger SE-HPL which was destroyed in a crash in February the same year. The EC 135 was a historic step in the history if police aviation. But a lot of work still remained until the helicopter could enter active police service. The whole autumn of 2001 was filled with crew training, mission evaluation and equipment adjustments. The second and third EC 135s (SE-HPS and -HPT) were delivered in November of 2001.
The life of the practically untouched machine came to a sudden end in an immense hangar fire on February 7, 2002. It was resting in the hangar at Tullinge airport for the night together with two Jet Rangers (SE-HIM & -HPH). At approx 02:00 a fire broke out in the building. It spread rapidly and as the fire fighting units arrived a half an hour later it proved too late to save the helicopters. The entire building was destroyed, together with the three helicopters and a Cessna airplane. The cause of the fire has never been fully determined.
The whole organization was stalled for a moment, but soon raised from the ashes. An eighth EC 135 (SE-HPZ) was ordered and the Stockholm base was temporary moved to Patria Ostermans Aero’s maintenance heliport at Arlanda Airport, moments north of Stockholm. SE-HPS, which had recently been delivered to the Gothenburg base, was moved back to Stockholm as a provisional replacement for SE-HPR. It served as police helicopter in the region until SE-HPU was delivered in April of 2002 - sending SE-HPS back to Gothenburg.
SE-HPR is indeed the unaccredited father of the modern police aviation. It hardly got to practice the active police service it had been prepared for in months on end.