Story ID: 049
Pilatus Expects PC-24 First Delivery by Year-end
By: Ian Sheppard
Caption: Swiss manufacturer Pilatus is readying for its much-hyped twin jet to receive type certification by the end of December.
Word Count: 503
Pilatus is closing in on certification and first delivery of the PC-24 “Super Versatile” jet, hoping for both by year-end. At the NBAA Convention last month, Pilatus CEO Marcus Bucher said, “We are at the very end of the development program.” The three development aircraft (P01, P02 and P03) have so far logged 2,000 hours on 1,250 flights. Bucher said that EASA pilots would fly the aircraft for the final time last month before the agency completes the paperwork. Prompt certification would allow the Swiss manufacturer to deliver the first customer aircraft to U.S. fractional operator PlaneSense next month.

“Most development testing has been completed,” said Bucher. The first two prototype aircraft, P01 and P02, have completed flight-testing. At Pilatus’s base in Stans, Switzerland, P01 is taking part in post-certification activities, aimed at helping customers to define their options. P03, meanwhile, is participating in a 150-hour function and reliability campaign that must be completed before the EASA can grant the aircraft a type certificate.

Bucher said series production is ramping up. The first aircraft for PlaneSense had its wing and fuselage mated in July and has since had various systems fitted ready for “intense testing and flight-testing.”

To prepare for deliveries, Pilatus has launched a 24/7 customer service facility and expanded the authorized service center network, equipping them with parts. PC-12 customers “will also benefit from the upgraded service,” the company said.

On the training side, Pilatus has developed a full-motion simulator with FlightSafety International, “which will be available for crew instruction in good time ahead of certification.”

Pilatus launched the $8.9 million PC-24 in 2013, revealing at EBACE that May that it had taken orders for 84 copies but elected to close the order book while it developed the aircraft. The type quickly proved popular, particularly with operators of the PC-12 (and PC-12NG), partly because it has been designed to fly from almost any airfield in the utility-capable tradition of the PC-12. The aircraft will be able to operate from airfields with a balanced field length of as little as 2,690 feet (820 m).

As to when the order book will be reopened to accept orders beyond the 84 aircraft already signed for, Bucher said, “We want to be sure we can deliver to customer expectations first, and you’ll definitely hear from us next year about exactly when the order book will reopen.”

Pilatus has developed what it calls an advanced cockpit environment with Honeywell, and the aircraft is powered by two Williams FJ44-4A rear-mounted turbofans. The PC-24 will be the first FJ44 application to take advantage of Williams’s quiet power mode, which allows the engine to provide “quiet, efficient ground power,” eliminating the need for a traditional APU. This further boosts its appeal for operations at less well equipped airports. Additionally, the cabin and cockpit can be independently heated or cooled while the engines are shut down.

 

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