Pilatus PC-12 Aircraft Information
PILATUS
PC-12 Reliability,
Efficiency, Versatility, Attributes The Pilatus has a large pressurized cabin with up to eight Executive Seats. The huge payload capability of the PC-12 enables you leave fully fueled and take four passengers plus luggage 1,800 miles at 310 mph, and up to 30,000 ft. Pilatus has out-sold all other turbine-powered jet props for the last five years. The PC-12 provides a huge cargo door for oversized items that were previously impossible to take on an airplane. Its executive interior has sporty plush leather seats by BMW design and a fully enclosed flushing lavatory. Savings Our PC-12 costs significantly less to own and operate than twin-engine turboprops and similar sized jets. The cabin offers more room and amenities than the Citation V, King Air 200, Lear jet 35 and Beech jet. With the 310 mph cursing speed the PC-12’s travel times are similar to that of a jet on trips up to 700 miles. For example, a 500 mile trip in a jet would only save you a maximum of 20 minutes but cost over twice the price, Pilatus Safety The Pilatus has an outstanding safety record. With Swiss engineering the Pilatus PC-12 has become one of the world’s safest aircraft. Many think that single engine means less safety and more risk. This is by far the truth. Statistics show that less injures and fewer fatalities occur in single engine aircraft. Many ask how this can be true. The facts are that multi engine aircraft have two engines to provide the necessary thrust to push the aircraft through the air. The manufactures try to design the aircraft to fly on one engine if an engine loss occurs. The issue is, if an engine loss occurs during takeoff which is the most critical time, many variables decide whether or not the aircraft can or will continue to fly on one engine. If everything is not performed perfectly and at the exact time of the engine failure, the asymmetrical thrust of the running engine can spin the aircraft into the ground. Weight, temperature, density altitude, and the pilot’s abilities are all factors if a successful flight of an engine loss in a multi engine aircraft is to be accomplished. Flight crews and pilots of turbine aircraft are only required to attend flight school or recurrent training once a year. This is the only time that pilots get the opportunity to practice these engine failures. The Pilatus’s single engine advantage keeps you safer than the overrated advertisements of multi engine aircraft. The design and simplicity of the Pilatus is what gives it the leading edge over any single or multi engine aircraft. Design How Pilatus has obtained its unbeatable safety and reliability is in the design and engineering of the aircraft. Most aircraft manufacturers design the engine around the aircraft. By doing this many modifications must be made and extra parts added to mate the engine to the aircraft. These added parts and modifications greatly reduce the reliability of the engine. Pilatus’s clean sheet design allows the aircraft to be built around the Pratt & Whitney PT6-67b engine, without all of the added modifications and parts. This simple design can easily be seen by looking into the Pilatus engine compartment. You will notice a very clean and simple lay out. Pilatus is bigger and heavier than most multi engine aircraft and any single engine aircraft. With one of Pratt & Whitney largest engines manufactured for general aviation. The PT6-67b easily powers the Pilatus through the air. Where Pilatus gets even more reliability and safety is by reducing the amount of power the engine outputs. The PT6-67b is rated for 1,700 hp continuous power output. Pilatus installed a larger than necessary engine so that the engine could be D-rated to a lower power setting. Pilatus has limited the engine power to 1,200hp for takeoff and 1,000 hp continuous. By doing this the engine is never pushed to its limits and this greatly increases the reliability of the engine. Multi engine aircraft push their engines to their maximum designed abilities which enable them to reduce the size and cost of the installed engines. Pilatus spares no expense. |
Single
Engine Advantage If an engine failure after takeoff was to occur the excessive variables that multi engine aircraft pilots face are not there in a Pilatus. The first thing every pilot is taught is no matter what fly the aircraft. An engine loss in a multi engine aircraft can easily take that one simple rule of “fly the aircraft” away. With all of the variables and decisions that must be made in split seconds, the pilot forgets to “fly the airplane” which leads to a disastrous ending. An engine loss in a single engine aircraft has one variable. FLY THE AIRPLANE. The pilot is not faced with multiple variables or task to distract him or her from the most important fundamental of flying. While multi engine aircraft have much higher stall speeds, due to the aerodynamics of having multiple engines. The Pilatus stall speed is extremely low, 60kts at gross weight. If an engine loss after takeoff was to occur and the Pilatus must make a forced landing, it will do so at a very slow speed. Built Tough Thee Pilatus’s engine being located in front of the aircraft protects the fuselage if a forced landing was necessary. Pilatus has installed a hand welded tubular engine mounting system and a titanium firewall along with a wing spar milled out of a solid piece of billet aluminum. Combining all of this gives armored car like strength. The design gives durability and safety to passengers that no other aircraft can offer. You here most people compare an aircrafts durability to something like a coke can. This is very true with most aircraft, especially in general aviation. By just looking at the Pilatus up close you will see it is no coke can. Everything is over engineered with redundancy and heaver duty parts. The Pilatus is built to protect and last. Facts: The facts are that the Pilatus is just as safe as or safer than multi engine aircraft. Below are some frequently asked questions. What if the Pilatus loses its engine after takeoff in low clouds or foggy conditions (IFR)? Every takeoff into minimal weather the advanced flight deck allows the pilots to enter the approach of the returning runway into the system. If an engine failure occurred the pilot would immediately make an 180deg turn back to the runway and line up on the already loaded approach. The Pilatus has an excellent glide ratio and this procedure is practiced during annual flight training. What if there is an engine loss during the flight? The Pilatus cruises in the mid to high 20’s. If the Pilatus was at 25,000 feet it would have 45 straight miles to glide. That’s a 141 mile parameter. The Pilatus can easily find an airport and safely land. Why does the Pilatus only have one power control lever? For one, the Pilatus is a single engine aircraft but most turbo prop aircraft have a power control lever a prop lever and a condition lever for each engine. Yes that’s three levers for each engine. Pilatus with its simple design has one lever. This single power lever controls everything. Again a more simple design with fewer parts to fail. Is the Pilatus noisy like other turbo props? No. The Pilatus is much quieter and the noise level is more comparable to that of a jet. This is because the engine is located in the front of the aircraft away from the cabin. The Pilatus also has a very slow 1,700 prop RPM. Most turbo props have a much higher prop rpm in order for the engines to provide enough thrust. Where can I go in the Pilatus? Many are surprised where you can go with a Pilatus. It is like no other aircraft when it comes to range and efficiency. The Pilatus can fly up 2,000 miles with long range cruise set. With a tail wind aloft, the Pilatus can fly from San Francisco to Naples Florida nonstop. This long range trip has been accomplished many times. After manufacturing of the aircraft is complete in Switzerland, the Pilatus actually fly’s across the Atlantic to Denver CO for interior finishing. You can go anywhere with the Pilatus. Airline Approval The FAA realizes the safety of the Pilatus PC-12 and has given it airline approval. SeaPort is an airline that operates Pilatus PC-12 aircraft on a airline schedule basis to more remote destinations. www.seaportair.com LInks Watch a Pilatus owner go around the world in a PC-12 World's Safest General Aviation Aircraft by Vaughn Olson Pilatus Website |
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