Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop airliner manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. There are passenger and cargo aircraft options. The model has established itself as a corporate jet of a business jet class, which is widely used by many airlines.
The famous Swiss company Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland (PAS) has existed since 1939.. PAS announced the start of work on a new project at the annual meeting of the National Association of Business Aviation (NBAA) in October 1989. By the end of May 1991, two experimental prototypes of the liner were prepared. One of them made its first flight in the same month.
Back in 1991, a national certification of the new aircraft industry was scheduled, but it had to be postponed due to changes in the wing design. March 30, 1994 he was accepted by Swiss experts, and July 15 of the same year, approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration.
Mod History:
- PC-12 / 41-47 serial version of the sample 1994 (pictured).
- PC-12 / 47E or some versions of PC-12 NG (Next Generation) was approved in 2008. Updated avionics and equipped with a PT6A-67P engine.
- The US Air Force PC-12M Specter also has the name Eagle and the U-28A mark. Used as a means of weather monitoring and reconnaissance.
Model Features
The PC-12 has only one PT6 turboprop engine (PT6A-67B). It can be controlled by one pilot, but for some carriers the opportunity was given to use a second pilot.
In a standard complete set the liner is presented:
- in the eight-seater version for regional lines;
- in the VIP passenger version with four passenger seats;
- cargo Combi-version.
More modern options, such as the PC-12M, are equipped with more powerful electric generators and are effectively operated in special services: ambulance, flight inspection, meteorological observations, etc.
A variant of the PC-12 Specter was also developed, which is in service with the US Air Force.
Due to its small shapes and lightweight construction, the aircraft does not need a large runway to disperse. A little more than 1 kilometer of the runway is enough for him. Air carriers in many countries have used this advantage. According to statistics, more than 11.5 thousand airports in the world can accept these business jets today.. Over time, more powerful engines began to be used for the aircraft power plant, which affected the technical characteristics of the Pilatus PC-12.
Salon RS-12
Business Jet Salon
The designers played a special role in improving the cockpit and the cabin. As we mentioned above, in the version for VIP clients there are only 4 armchairs of a sofa of increased comfort. The upholstery and upholstery is made of natural eco-friendly materials. The space is used with maximum efficiency, and even the longest flight possible on a liner of this class does not cause fatigue or discomfort.
The bathroom is also spacious. It is located in front of the aircraft and cuts off the cabin from the service area, creating an atmosphere of “privacy” on board. These sides are often used for business meetings and negotiations. It is appropriate to recall here that one of the models produced by PAS served American President George W. Bush and was considered the most comfortable aircraft in those years.
PC-12 Application
Until recently, these machines were mainly used for corporate transportation and were used only by certain companies. Following changes in the laws of Australia, Brazil, Canada and the United States of America, single-engine designs were approved for regional passenger traffic in these countries.
The PC-12 market began to gain momentum from that moment on. For example, the American company PlaneSense today uses a fleet of 34 such aircraft for this purpose. In total, more than 1 thousand models in various modifications were sold in the world.
Technical characteristics of the PC-12:
- Crew: one or two pilots.
- Capacity: 6-8 passengers.
- Length: 14.40 m.
- Wingspan: 16.23 m.
- Height: 4.26 m (14 ft).
- Wing Area: 25.81 sq. m
- Empty weight: 2.761 kg.
- Cargo weight: 4700 kg.
- Max. take-off weight: 4,740 kg.
- Cruising speed: 500 km / h. ·
- Ceiling height: 9.150 m.
- Max. Range: 4.149 km.
- Fuel consumption: 1222 kg.
The aircraft is a unique attempt to connect one powerful turboprop engine with a large and roomy glider. The creation of this aircraft was announced at the exhibition of the National Association of Official Aviation (NBAA) in 1989. The first flight of the prototype R.01 took place on May 31, 1991, the second aircraft in mid-1992. From the very beginning, the aircraft was planned for long-distance flights at high speed. Pilatus claims that its speed is 185 km / h more than that of the Cessna Caravan, and its flight range is greater than that of the Beech King Air model (both of these are potential rivals for the Swiss aircraft).
PC-12 NG (Next Generation) is the commercial name for the PC-12 / 47E modification. The aircraft was certified in 2008, received a modernized avionics and PT6A-67P engine
Technical data:
Maximum speed: 520 km / h
Altitude: 9144 m
Take-off distance: 808 m
Landing distance: 558 m
Rate of climb at sea level: 585 m / min
Range: 2913 km
Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67P, with a capacity of 1200 liters. from.
Maximum weight: 4760.9 kg
Take-off weight: 4740 kg
Landing weight: 4500 kg
Weight without fuel: 4100 kg
Fuel capacity: 1227 kg
Cargo capacity: 467 kg
Length: 14.4 m
Wing span: 16.27 m
Height: 4.26 m
A bit of project economics:
Aircraft price: 2.15 - $ 3.45 million.
Direct operating costs: $ 668 / hour.
Fixed costs: $ 210,926 / year.
Now sold more than 1,000 aircraft PC-12 of all modifications; most of them are used in civil aviation.
The aircraft PC-12F is a multifunctional cargo model, in connection with which the T-shape of the tail was chosen. The fuselage is equipped with a large hatch opening upward. The volume of the cabin is 9.34 cubic meters.
In the RS-12P model, up to nine passenger seats can be installed. A plane for the transportation of especially important persons, accommodating six people, can have a combi layout - for four passengers and 5.94 cubic meters of cargo.
By the way, at the very top photo, there is I, only, very small (unrealistic), somewhere on the tip of the polished coca of the four-blade screw Hartzell HC - E4A - 3D / E10477K. Negotiations were held with a potential customer on the plane, so I didn’t take a photo inside, now I’m very sorry. I hope next year Pilatus RS-12NG will fly to us again and I will not miss a photo inside!
The annual Jetexpo exhibition this time turned out to be with a flight component for me. It was impossible to refuse the invitation to fly to the event directly at the exhibit. In addition, I have never flown a Pilaus PC-12 before - adding the 90th type to the collection of flying planes is very tempting. Moreover, acquaintances spoke about the car in excellent tones - it was interesting to compare their own feelings with what they heard.
As a result - a short story about the flight from St. Petersburg to Moscow on the RS-12.
1. RS-12 was waiting for us on the platform of Pulkovo-3. The aircraft is unusual - designed by the famous designer Hans Ernie in 2014 on the 75th anniversary of Pilatus. This is one of the last works of the artist, who left us in the spring of this year. 
2. Departure turned out to be rainy. 
3. After a short run, we rise above Pulkovo. The terminal after the recent opening of the southern gallery has a completed look, with which you can congratulate the wonderful VVSS team. 
4. The reconstruction of the airport also affected the service part. There is also beauty, despite the rain. 
5. We break out of the rain, gain altitude - about 7 km (we can 9). At the controls Niklaus Grammeter, pilot of Pilatus. Cabin "glass" - i.e. equipped with displays. This is not just the RS-12, but the RS-12NG - New Generation - an upgraded version of the aircraft. Looking at it is not easy to believe that you are in a small one-engine plane. But this car breaks many stereotypes. 
6. We do not have time to get on the echelon - they are already rushing to take pictures. 
7. “They” are the color of aviation journalism. Editor-in-chief of the Air Transport Review Alexey Sinitsky, 
8. ... the permanent head of the portal AVIA.RU Roman Gusarov ... 
9. ... and Dmitry Petrochenko, Editor-in-Chief of the leading Russian BizavNews business aviation website. 
10. Sky-high interview with Nesterov Aviation CEO Evgeny Okladnikov - Representative of Pilatus in Russia. 
11. The style of Hans Ernie. 
12. By the way, a few types of salon (shooting every other day as part of the exhibition). 
13. This is an enhanced comfort option for 6 people. The usual layout is designed for 8. In the 6-seater version, the aircraft is quite spacious, giving the necessary level of comfort for flights for 2-3 hours. Despite the fact that the RS-12 - the aircraft is quite fast - flies at a speed of about 500 km / h, which on regional routes allows it to compete in speed with jet aircraft. At the same time, a machine with a take-off weight of less than 5 tons will greatly win at the cost of operation. Surprised by the silence in the rear seats - the sound of the engine is almost invisible. Ahead of the place a little more noisy. 
14. The plane is not high - you cannot stand upright in the cabin - you need to bend a little. But at the same time, it is quite convenient to conduct face-to-face negotiations or just a friendly conversation. 
15. By the way, the back row can be removed and the plane turns into a combi version with a cargo compartment. 
16. We return to the sky. We fly to Moscow. 
17. Less than one and a half hours of flight and we dive into the clouds. 
18. A long approach to Vnukovo - you have to go in the opposite direction, and before that spin. 
19. Finally we sit down. 
20. On the platform of Vnukovo 3. 
21. Autograph of the master. 
22. Here is such a small big single-engine RS-12. 
“Exceeds expectations everywhere. Pilatus PC-12NG has earned a reputation for its versatility, performance and reliability. Today it is one of the most popular business-class turboprop aircraft on the market,” the Swiss Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. is positioning the latest generation of PC-12.
Pilatus PC-12 after takeoff in Ufa
Almost a quarter of a century ago, a car appeared, without which today it is difficult to imagine operators of corporate and VIP transportation, air ambulance, small airlines and even government agencies. Initially, it was assumed that the model will occupy a niche in the corporate market. Market research conducted in the 1980s showed that potential demand for aircraft of this class could be 25 units per year, with orders coming mainly from cargo operators, air ambulance services and small charter carriers. However, over time, it began to operate on regional airlines. Now, the aircraft is used to perform the functions of an air command post, conduct electronic warfare, patrol borders, fight against drug trafficking, drop paratroopers and provide assistance to victims of natural disasters. 1300 RS-12s were delivered to customers, and most of the fleet is still “on the wing”.
Pilatus PC-12 in 2001 became the best in the class according to Forbes. He was named the favorite airplane of Silicon Valley businessmen. In fact, the Pilatus PC-12 is a multifunctional transport platform with a spacious pressurized cab (9.34 cubic meters) and a cargo hatch opening up to 1.32x1.35 m in size. The model provides customers with an ideal balance of capabilities. The cabin with a flat floor can be installed up to nine passenger seats. The VIP version is designed for six people. A combined layout for four passengers and 5.94 cubic meters of cargo is possible. In the medical version, the aircraft can carry up to three patients on a stretcher.
The model, operating since 1994, has been modified several times. A total of 12 episodes have been released. In 2008, the RS-12 underwent a deep modernization of the electrical system, engine replacement, received new winglets and the modern name PC12NG. All PC12s, starting with serial number 1000, are equipped with the new, more powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67P engine. The increase in engine power has greatly simplified take-off from mountain airfields and flight through mountain ranges in hot weather. This added to the comfort of passengers, as the aircraft passes the turbulence zone faster. Climbing time of 9.1 km is 27 minutes, which is 7 minutes faster than the previous version. PC-12NG is capable of transporting three passengers at a distance of 2,889 km with the required air navigation fuel supply.
The PC-12NG was the world's first single-engine turboprop aircraft with a dual-bus power system and the first production aircraft with a fully integrated Honeywell Primus Apex avionics system with widescreen multi-function displays. According to Pilatus, this instrumentation is much easier to learn and use than many competing products. All aircraft equipment, including electric heaters and an evaporative cycle air conditioning system, is capable of operating from an airfield power source. The aircraft is certified for instrument flight with one pilot on board.
Thanks to the powerful chassis with half-racks, the PC-12 can perform soft landings on unequipped and unpaved airfields. The aircraft is characterized by the presence of a high temperature range of operation (from -55 to +50 degrees C), which makes it attractive to operators around the world.
He is the most expensive of single-engine turboprop models. Its price is 20% higher than the twin-engine King Air C90GT. The base cost of the Pilatus PC-12NG is $ 3.85 million, and the typical cost with additional equipment is around $ 4.4-4.7 million. For this money, the buyer receives the most spacious cabin in the class. Only the King Air 350, which costs $ 5.5 million, has a 10% more cab volume.
The client also receives the largest maximum permissible payload (1,500 kg), the highest flight range with maximum load (2,804 km with nine passengers on board), as well as the highest load at full refueling (539 kg). In addition, the PC-12NG boasts the longest flight range with fully filled tanks (4,149 km) compared to any of its competitors.
Pilatus PC-12 lands in Ufa
The PC-12NG is economical: when flying at a range of 1,100 km, fuel consumption will be about a third less than that of the King Air B200GT. The flight will be longer by approximately 10 minutes due to the lower cruising speed of the PC-12NG, which averages 470-500 km / h. The TBM-850 is also faster, more economical, but much inferior in payload, and a Meridian with a full refueling can carry only two passengers with small baggage. The direct operating costs of the RS-12NG are in the range of $ 668 per hour. For TVM 850, this figure is $ 488. Smaller, but the maximum payload mass of Pilatus is almost 2.5 times greater.
This aircraft is not expensive. The design life of the airframe is 20 thousand hours or 27 thousand cycles with periodic maintenance every 100 hours. Schedules are provided (once a year, once every two years and once every three years), as well as undocking the fuselage with the wing once every 10 years from fluoroscopy of the docking nodes. The engine’s overhaul life is 3500 hours. The overhaul cost can reach $ 360 thousand, which is not so cheap for a single-engine aircraft. At the same time, the average time between failures of the PC-12 engine significantly exceeds 200 thousand flight hours.
The high reliability of the RS-12 is evidenced by the fact that for more than 20 years of operation, only 36 flight incidents were recorded. True, 16 of them were associated with human casualties. Research conducted by security experts at Robert E. Breiling Associates, Inc. in 2012 confirmed that the accident rate of the RS-12 is half the average in the twin-engine turboprop sector and significantly lower than that of single-engine competitors. And this is with the rapidly increasing park raid. The total raid of almost 1300 operating PC-12s in 2015 exceeded 5 million hours. As representatives of Pilatus note, the total flying time of the park adds a million hours every two years. The largest annual raid (24,000 h) was recorded by the aircraft used as an air ambulance by the Canadian company Air Bravo.
Pilatus PC-12 lands in Ufa
The first operator of the PC-12 aircraft was the Australian The Royal Flying Doctor Service, which began flights in 1994. In 2011, the company's aircraft completed 250 thousand flights, flying a little less than 240 thousand hours, in 2015, its fleet reached 36 aircraft of this type, the number of flights exceeded 320 thousand, and the flight approached 315 thousand hours. Most of the flights were carried out in a desert area, night flights and landing on highways became everyday practice.
The American company PlaneSense, which offers rental services and shared ownership of aircraft, has 50 machines and is the largest commercial operator of this type in the world. In September 1995, she received her first aircraft, which had serial number 20, and in August 2013, the 1200th PC-12 was delivered to her.
In the United States, the aircraft under the designation U-28A is used by special forces. It is also exploited by the military of Switzerland, Bulgaria, Finland and South Africa. It is in service with the police forces of Argentina, Canada and Australia.
Currently, 13 RS-12s are flying in Russia. The largest operator is Avia Management Group CJSC, which has 10 machines. The company is very pleased with the RS-12, the first of which they received in 2008. Over the entire period of operation, no serious problems have been identified. At the same time, the aircraft operated flights in various climatic conditions. Dexter Airlines, one of the three largest type operators in Europe and participating in the implementation of the state program for subsidizing regional air transportation, uses the RS-12 as an air taxi and also operates regular and medical flights. Two PC-12/47 with a six-seater VIP cabin are listed in the park of the Yekaterinburg charter airline Uktus.
Official Representative of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. appeared in Russia only in 2015. Nesterov Aviation exclusively promotes the PC-12NG to the local market, while the PC-6 remains out of the company's attention. According to Evgeny Okladnikov, CEO of Nesterov Aviation, his company expects to transfer the first aircraft to the customer before the end of this year, and in the future plans to supply 1-2 aircraft to private and corporate clients. At the same time, according to him, the state aviation market has great potential: the PC-12 has no equal as a platform for creating special-purpose aircraft. The creation of a service center will contribute to the growth in the number of orders. The region of its location has not yet been determined, but E. Okladnikov does not exclude that this will be the North-West of the country.
Pilatus PC-12 lands in Ufa
here is such an air gazelle, that pilatus.
The purpose of the Pilatus PC-12NG is to carry out short and medium-range flights, from 2 to 5 hours, for groups of up to 8 people with the possibility of take-off and landing on a shortened ground strip.
Pilatus PC-12NG It combines so many qualitative advantages that it’s enough to simply list them so that it becomes clear that we are facing the market leader.
Pilatus PC-12NG leads in all respects.
Pilatus PC-12NG is a single-engine turboprop aircraft designed and manufactured by the Swiss company Pilatus Aircraft Limited. The first plane saw the light in 2001. Operational versatility, performance, reliability and low operating costs make the Pilatus PC-12 the leader of the latest in its class to this day.
A spacious, tight cabin, smooth ride, acoustic comfort, a toilet, wi-fi accessibility, a spacious luggage compartment in conjunction with a huge side cargo door - all this is available to passengers of the Pilatus PC-12. And when the potential owner finds out about the level of operating expenses and the largest residual value of the aircraft after 5 years, the choice becomes obvious.
Made in Switzerland. Whole.
The cabin volume of the Pilatus PC12NG is greater than that of any other Turboprops or even Midsize Jets class aircraft, despite the fact that the aircraft initially costs almost half the price of the above. Supported aircraft prices range from $ 2.5-3.5 million, the price of the new Pilatus PC-12NG in the basic configuration starts at $ 3.85 million, the price of most purchased aircraft is $ 4.4 - 4.7 million. The price of Pilatus PC-12NG in the VIP configuration with ultramodern stylish armchairs from BMW Designworks, equipped with automatic retractable headrests and foot platforms, will be about $ 5 million.
Rent Pilatus PC-12 VIP
The main advantages of Pilatus PC12NG.
- IN the ability to take off from shortened unpaved runways The required take-off length is 793 meters.
- Universality of use.
In less than 1 hour, the rear 2 seats can be dismantled, and the luggage compartment of the aircraft is increased so much that you can drive a motorcycle into it! The side door of the aircraft is really cargo, and a flat floor gives a huge variety of options for using cargo space to 100%.
The height of the cargo door of the Pilatus PC12 is 1.35 meters.
The width of the cargo door of the Pilatus PC12 is 1.32 meters.
The spaciousness and comfort of the cabin.
The floor of the aircraft is flat, as in aircraft of a much higher category.
The height of the cabin of the Pilatus PC-12 is 1.47 meters, the width of the cabin is 1.52 meters, the length of the cabin is 5.16 meters. The total volume is 9.34 cubic meters.
The step of the seats is such that the passenger in any seat can relax and stretch his legs, without fear of interfering with someone or rest against something. Passengers also have access to a separate toilet room located between the cockpit and the passenger compartment, separated from all by hard doors.
The residual value of the aircraft. According to statistics, the average residual value of a 5-year-old aircraft varies from 60 to 85% (!). There is even an aircraft on the market that is already 10 years old, but its residual value is estimated at 80% of its original value. In practice, an airplane loses value only in the first 3 years. After this period, the residual value chart stops and then remains flat. According to a 2016 Rolland Vincent Associates study, the 10-year average annual depreciation rate on the Pilatus PC-12 was only 2.2%. This is significantly lower than any other aircraft from this category or from the category of jet aircraft.
Characteristics:
- Maximum number of passengers 6-8
- Maximum flight range - 3417 km
- Cruising speed - 528 km / h
- Take-off distance (take-off run) - 793 meters
- Landing distance (path length) - 661 meters
- Maximum take-off weight - 4740 kg
- Maximum landing weight - 4500 kg
- Payload at maximum refueling - 458 kg
- Basic operating weight - 3076 kg
- Maximum flight altitude (operational ceiling) - 9144 m
- Height in the cabin (FL 260) - 2,438 meters
- Passenger door height - 1.35 meters
- Passenger door width - 0.60 meters
- Luggage capacity - 1.13 cubic meters
- Cabin width at floor level - 1.30 meters
- Maximum rate of climb - 585 m / min
- Stall speed (max. Take-off weight) - 124 km / h