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THE PLEASURE OF ADVENTURE Elegant and comfortable, equally at home at the airports of the Cote d’Azur and the dirt runways of the African or Australian bush. It’s the new Pilatus PC-12NG by Sergio Barlocchetti - ph. Jon Davison/Pilatus
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his aircraft marked the introduction of a new category, large single turboprops, that provides great functional versatility. Whether they are used to shuttle between the towns of the Cote d’Azur or traverse
long distances in Africa or Australia, they will always offer satisfaction – the
cargo door even enables users to load a pair of motorbikes. It’s not brand new, gaining its airworthiness certificate in 1994, but with a production run that’s now reached 1,000 examples and constant upgrades and improvements, it has reached full maturity. The first turboprop to offer large jet avionics in the shape of the Honeywell Apex, the latest model features the beefed-up 67P variant of the 1,200 hp (895 kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine. This provides take-off and landing performance up to an external air temperature of 33°C (91°F). Overhaul after a regime of intensive use is only necessary after 3,500 hours. This all comes in a cost from new of around 5 million dollars, rising to 5.3 million for the fully kitted-out executive model. The Pilatus PC-12NG can carry eight people at 236 kt (436km/h) up to an altitude of 20,000 ft (6,100 m), enabling it to overfly the Alps or operate in the high African flatlands. It comes as no surprise, then, that it’s chosen by sub-Saharan users an air ambulance for missions taking place in all conditions. Passenger comfort has been improved by a digitally-controlled pressurisation and climatisation systems. Sockets for electronic devices have also been included, and passengers can hook up to the Internet via a fast satellite connection. Although turboprop aircraft are regared as providing an excellent work-out for young pilots, the workload in this cabin is minimal. The systems are integrated in such a way that the time between engine pre-ignition checks and starting to roll is less than a minute, nor is it possible to make trim errors as the Apex system includes alarms that indicate incorrect take-off trim. It is easy to manage performance on the basis of load, which in normal flight with two passengers can lift take-off weight to 4,700 kg, 3,000 kg for the aircraft, 400 kg for the crew, 850 kg of fuel and the remaining 450 kg available for an Enduro motorbike. An additional load of under 80 kg can also be carried, but that means reaching the maximum permissible limit. Take-off and landing in the PC-12NG are very straightforward – take-off speed is around 85 knots after respectable acceleration down the runway. The aircraft climbs at 3,000 feet per minute at a speed of 140 knots, and lands within 500 metres at 85 knots, or 100 knots with flaps extended with more weight on board, leaving time for the pilot to make precise judgements, especially when landing on a dirt runway. Short landings are one of this plane’s strengths – with flaps fully extended and a little power to boost energy it can touch down at 70kts and come to a halt within 350 metres if the prop pitch is used as a brake. It’s clear that the PC-12NG makes it possible to avoid the busiest international airports and reach remote destinations in an aircraft that from the management point of view can be used as if it were a business jet.
www.pilatus-aircraft.com
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Select and extremely robust materials, plus Wi-Fi connectivity. One option is a large cargo hatch big enough to load two enduro motorbikes. Previous page, the PC-12 with personalised livery in flight over the sea
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