Milestones For Pilatus

Swiss airframer Pilatus has recently delivered its 1,400th PC-12 single-turboprop business/private aircraft. Since certification in 1994, the fleet has flown more than 5.6 million hours. The latest major version, the PC-12 NG that was introduced in 2008, has just passed the million-hour mark.

First revealed at the NBAA show in Las Vegas last year, the 2016 edition of the PC-12 NG continues the development of the pressurized aircraft. New features include a five-blade composite propeller and aerodynamic drag-reduction refinements that combine to give a 285-knot cruising speed. The avionics include some upgrades, while new design choices are available for both interior and exterior.

While development of the PC-12 continues, Pilatus (Chalet A23) is also concentrating on bringing its PC-24 business jet to certification. The type made its first public appearance in May at the EBACE show in Geneva, although it was only at the show for a day, as the type continues on an intensive flight test program. Pilatus now has two prototypes flying, which had flown over 500 hours at the time of EBACE. A third prototype is to join the team towards the end of this year, and certification is scheduled for late 2017.