The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The main market for the aircraft is corporate transport and regional airliner operators. The United States Air Force's designation is the U-28A. The PC-12 holds the distinction of being the best selling pressurized, single-engine, turbine-powered aircraft in the world.
The PC-12 is designed for performing in multiple roles and to deliver equal performance and safety to twin-engine aircraft. It is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney engine and is capable of operating within the most rugged environments, such as the Australian outback; it is one of the few pressurized turbine-powered aircraft capable of operating from rough landing strips. A trailing arm landing gear arrangement is used to enable the PC-12 to access thousands of airfields that most jet aircraft are incapable of using.
The cabin interior of the PC-12 can accommodate up to nine passengers in a comfortable configuration, which includes features such as a refreshment center, a fully enclosed lavatory, and a baggage area to the rear of the cabin. Other cabin configurations include executive arrangements, seating between six and eight passengers, a four-seat passenger-cargo combi layout, and an air ambulance setup housing two litters and three attending medics. An atypically large cargo door is installed to accommodate more bulky items, including palletized cargo.
The PC-12 incorporates numerous safety measures. The PT6A-67 engine has a reputation for considerable reliability; it can counteract stall and spin conditions, and is certified for flight into known ice conditions. Aviation Week describe the PC-12 as possessing "...comparatively slow take-off and landing speeds, excellent short-field performance, and easy handling characteristics."
In addition to its uses as a passenger transport and private aircraft, the PC-12 can be configured as a multi-mission platform, such as an air ambulance or for conducting surveillance aircraft missions. In its multi-mission capacity, the aircraft has seen use by various customers, including the Red Cross, the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the United States Air Force, among others.
Commercial, corporate, and private use
In 1994, the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia became the launch customer of the PC-12. It operates 32 PC-12s throughout Australia to deliver medical services in remote areas.
The PC-12 has been often employed as a regional airliner as a replacement for older twin-engine aircraft, or to perform routes/missions that would have otherwise not been practical, using more costly aircraft.Over time, the PC-12 gained a greater following amongst fractional and charter operators, such as regional passenger airlines and by corporate clients, reportedly the size and comfort of the main cabin has been a key factor in the sales to these customers.
Pilatus also uses a series of overseas distributors to market and sell the PC-12 within designated regions. In August 2014, Californian airline Surf Air placed an order for 15 PC-12 NGs and 50 options, one of the largest contracts for the type. PlaneSense, a New Hampshire-based fractional ownership company, claims to manage the largest fleet of the type, operating 34 PC-12s in 2015.
In June 2010, Pilatus announced that the 1,000th PC-12 had been delivered. By August 2013, the worldwide PC-12 fleet had accumulated a combined total of 4 million flight hours and 1,200 PC-12s had been delivered to customers. Just over a year after the 1300th, the 1400th PC-12 was delivered in July 2016. The fleet has accumulated 5.6 million total flight hours since certification.
Military operations
The PC-12 is Pilatus' first aircraft directed principally at the civil market. Despite the company historically being a military-oriented supplier, military sales for the type were considered a low priority during the early stages of development.
The U-28A is the United States Air Force variant of the PC-12 for intra-theater support of special operations forces. The 319th Special Operations Squadron is stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida at the headquarters of the Air Force Special Operations Command. The 34th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) was activated on 9 April 2010 as the second U-28A unit at Hurlburt Field. Both squadrons operate as part of the 1st Special Operations Wing/ 1st Special Operations Group (SOG) at Hurlburt Field. The Pilatus PC-12 is also operated by the 318th Special Operations Squadron as part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.
Extensively edited by Jack Krug from the original Wiki article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilatus_PC-12
Extensively edited by Jack Krug from the original Wiki article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilatus_PC-12
1 comment:
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