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 U.S. Air Force's designation is the U-28A.
Design and development Pilatus announced the development of the PC-12
at the annual convention of the National Business Aviation Association in October 1989. The
two prototypes were completed on 1 May 1991, with the first flight taking place on May
31, 1991. Certification of the type was originally planned for mid-1991 but a redesign of the
wings delayed this. Swiss certification finally took place on 30 March 1994, and U.S. Federal
Aviation Administration approval followed on 15 July 1994.
As with many other Pilatus aircraft, the PC-12 is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada
PT6 turboprop engine. It is certified for single-pilot IFR operations, though operators
may choose to utilize a second flight crew member. Pilatus offers the PC-12 in a standard
nine-seat airliner form, in a four-passenger seat/freight Combi version, and as a six-seat
corporate transport with an option for a seven-seat by adding a three-seat bench in place of seats
five and six. A pure freighter model is under consideration.
The PC-12M is based on the PC-12, but equipped with a more powerful electrical generation
system that enables addition of additional power-consuming equipment. This enables the
PC-12M to perform missions such as flight inspection, air ambulance, parachutist dropping,
aerial photography, and aerial surveillance. This version is marketed in the United States
as the PC-12 Spectre paramilitary special missions platform.
Pilatus announced the PC-12NG at the 2006 NBAA meeting in Orlando, and officially launched
it during the NBAA 2007 in Atlanta. The NG features a more powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67P
engine with better climb performance and an increase in maximum cruise speed to 280 kts
TAS. The NG also features a Honeywell Primus Apex glass cockpit. The revised cockpit includes
automatic pressurization control as well as cursor controlled inputs to the navigation
system. The PC-12 NG winglets have also been modified from the original version.
Operational history
Commercial, corporate, and private use Most PC-12s are used as corporate transports,
but recent regulatory changes in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the United States have
cleared single engine turboprops such as the PC-12 for regional passenger transport operations
in those countries. This opens a new market for the PC-12 as a regional airliner that
would replace older twin piston-engined aircraft. PlaneSense, a New Hampshire-based fractional
ownership company, is the largest fractional operator of PC-12s in the world, operating
34 PC-12s. In 1994, the Royal Flying Doctor Service of
Australia was the launch customer of the PC-12 and now operates more than 36 PC-12 aircraft
across Australia. U.S. Air Force operations
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 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 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. Variants
PC-12/41 Original production variant certified in 1994
has a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B engine. Most, if not all of the /41s have been upgraded
to /45s. PC-12/45
Certified in 1996 has a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B engine, maximum takeoff weight increased
to 4,500 kg. PC-12/47
Certified in 2005 has a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B engine, maximum takeoff weight increased
to 4,740 kg. Cabin noise measured at 85 dBA in cockpit and 81 dBA at passenger seats.
PC-12/47E Variant certified in 2008 has upgraded avionics
and a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67P engine. Sometimes known by its trade name PC-12 NG.
Cabin noise measured at 90 dBA in cockpit and 85-87 dBA at passenger seats.
PC-12M Spectre Paramilitary special missions platform marketed
in the United States, originally called "Eagle". U-28A
United States military designation for the PC-12.
Operators
Civilian As of June 2010, more than 1000 PC-12s have
been sold; most are used in the civil market. Present airline operators
Bhutan Tashi Air
Canada Nakina Air Service
Pascan Aviation Wasaya Airways
Tantalus Air Russia
Dexter Air Taxi United States
SeaPort Airlines Surf Air
Former airline operators Canada
Bearskin Airlines NAC Air
Peace Air Other notable civil operators
Australia Royal Flying Doctor Service - operates 31
PC-12 for EMS/medical transport duties. Canada
AirSprint Inc. United States
PlaneSense Government
Argentina Argentine National Gendarmerie - operates
one PC-12 for VIP and MEDEVAC transport Australia
Western Australia Police - operate two PC-12s for staff transport, search and rescue and
disaster relief. Northern Territory Police
Canada Ontario Provincial Police - PC-12/45 with
a camera mounted under the fuselage Ornge - operates 10 PC-12 NG for aeromedical
transport Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service
Royal Canadian Mounted Police United States
Customs & Border Protection - Office of Air & Marine
Phoenix Police Department - PC-12 Spectre State Of Wisconsin - PC-12/45
Military Afghanistan
Afghan Air Force ordering 18 PC-12NG variants modified by the Sierra Nevada Corporation
for special operations use.2 have been delivered as of December 2013.
Bulgaria Bulgarian Air Force operates one PC-12 for
VIP transport. Finland
Finnish Air Force operates six PC-12NG aircraft as liaison aircraft.
South Africa South African Air Force operates one PC-12
with 41 Squadron for VIP transport. Switzerland
Swiss Air Force operates one PC-12 for research flights and VIP transport.
United States United States Air Force operates 28 PC-12/47s
for special operations. Specifications
General characteristics Crew: one or two pilots
Capacity: 9 passengers standard, 6-8 executive Payload: 1,500 kg
Length: 14.40 m Wingspan: 16.23 m
Height: 4.26 m Wing area: 25.81 m²
Empty weight: 2,761 kg Loaded weight: 4,700 kg
Max. takeoff weight: 4,740 kg Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B
or -67P turboprop, 895 kW Maximum landing: 4,500 kg
Maximum payload full fuel: 539 kg Tail wingspan: 5.20 m
Propeller: Hartzell HC - E4A - 3D/E10477K – 4 blade aluminum
Propeller diameter: 2.67 m Propeller RPM: 1,700 rpm
Performance Cruise speed: 500 km/h)
Stall speed: 120 km/h) Service ceiling: 9,150 m
Rate of climb: 512 m/min at sea level Wing loading: 174.3 kg/m²
Power/mass: 3.7 kg/shp Range 0 passenger: 4,149 km
Range 9 passenger: 2,804 km Takeoff distance over 15 m obstacle: 701 m
Takeoff distance ground roll: 450 m Landing distance over 15 m obstacle: 558 m
Landing distance ground roll: 228 m AvionicsHoneywell Primus Apex
See also Aircraft of comparable role, configuration
and era PAC P-750 XSTOL
Aero Ae 270 Ibis Cessna 208
Myasishchev/SOKOL M-101T Piper Meridian
Socata TBM References
Notes
Bibliography
External links Special livery to celebrate the 1000th PC-12NG,
unveiled in late June, 2010 at Stans. Pilatus PC 12 official manufacturer's web
page Flight International article on the Pilatus
PC-12 Next Generation Flying Magazine article on the Pilatus PC-12
Next Generation European Aviation Safety Agency - Type Certificate
Data Sheet A.089 PC-12 Project Information on Pilatus PC-12 Single-Turboprop
Executive Aircraft AirForce-magazine.com: The SOF Makeover, by
Marc V. Schanz, June 2010, Vol. 93, No. 6.] [1]