Pilatus has disclosed to ANN that its flagship PC-12 will be
receiving several significant improvements for 2006.
Beginning with the first delivery in January, the 2006 PC-12 will
offer better performance, improved handling, increased comfort, and
more reliability than its predecessor.
"Our mission at Pilatus is quite simply to offer the most
capable, highest quality, economical aircraft in business
aviation," said John Senior, Pilatus Aircraft's Vice President of
Research and Development. "We accomplish this by constantly seeking
customer input on ways to improve the Pilatus ownership experience,
and driving those ideas back into the product development
process."
The new PC-12 offers greater range-payload through a gross
weight increase. The change adds 530 pounds to the aircraft's
useful load, bringing it from 3,600 to 4,130 pounds for a typically
equipped PC-12 in an executive configuration. Maximum takeoff
weight increases from 9,920 to 10,450 pounds.
Better handling comes from improved control harmony and new
winglets. The new winglets, derived from technology developed for
the high performance Pilatus PC-21 military trainer, reduce drag
and improve crosswind control. Pilatus has also added Flettner tabs
to the PC-12's ailerons. Roll control forces have been reduced by
60 percent at low speeds and 72 percent at high speeds, giving
pilots a sportier, more responsive feel in all phases of
flight.
Pilots will enjoy increased comfort in the PC-12's new crew
seats. With specially contoured cushions and a wide range of
adjustments for the lumbar supports, seat back, arm rests, thigh
supports, and headrests, the new seats will give pilots much more
freedom to custom-tailor their seating positions for superior
comfort on long flights.
Improved reliability comes from new LED lighting systems. The
LED cabin lights last 20,000 hours, and are color balanced to
create a warm, inviting glow. LEDs are now also part of the PC-12's
navigation lighting system, providing lower operating temperatures,
longer operating life, and better visibility.
The enhanced 2006 Pilatus PC-12 is the latest offering for the
PC-12 fleet, which exceeds 580 aircraft and has logged over 1
million flight hours with operators worldwide. Continuous
improvement is part of the reason the PC-12 has been the top
selling turbine-powered business aircraft for the past three years
in a row. In 2005, Pilatus will deliver 80 PC-12 business
turboprops.
With enthusiasm for the 2006 enhancements expected to create
even higher demand, Pilatus plans to increase PC-12 production in
2006.