Chairman Oscar Schwenk unveiled Pilatus Aircraft’s long-awaited brand-new twinjet project, the PC-24.
Exactly what they asked for, he said, was an airplane with the capabilities of the PC-12, but faster and with a larger cabin. “The PC-24 is one-of-a-kind. It’s the only plane integrating the versatility of a turboprop with the cabin size of a medium-size jet and the performance of a light jet.”.
The PC-24 airframe is all-metal and is created to operate from unimproved and brief runways, as little as 2,690 feet (well balanced field length) at mtow. Intended for Part 23 certification, the PC-24 can be flown by one pilot. Two Williams International FJ44-4A engines assist the PC-24 climb to its optimum altitude FL450 in under 30 minutes and achieve a high-speed cruise of 425 ktas at FL300. Range with an 800-pound payload (four guests) at long-range cruise rate and NBAA 100-nm IFR reserves is 1,950 nm. Optimum launch weight is 17,650 pounds and maximum payload 2,500 pounds.
With seating for six to 8 travelers or up to 10 in commuter setup, the PC-24′s cabin volume is 501 cu ft, “much even more than larger plane that expense twice as much,” Schwenk said. The cabin has a flat floor.
Calling it a “very versatile jet,” Pilatus on May 21 presented its brand-new, $8.9 million PC-24 twinjet at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exposition in Geneva. The airplane, which is still in the prototype phase, is set to roll out of the Pilatus manufacturing plant in Stans, Switzerland, in the 3rd quarter of 2014. Certification is planned for very early 2017.
The PC-24 will be powered by 2 3,400-lbst Williams FJ44-4A engines, which ought to allow maximum cruise speeds of roughly 425 knots, Pilatus said. The aircraft’s optimal variety with four travelers is projected at 1,948 nautical miles, and Pilatus states that the PC-24 will be “the first business jet worldwide with the ability to utilize very brief runways, paved or unpaved, and with a payload door standard.”.
A choice of cabin layouts will be available, from six- to eight-seat executive floorplans to 10-seat commuter setups to emergency passenger-and-cargo and medical “combi” arrangements.
The PC-24 will have an avionics suite that obtains heavily from the Honeywell Primus Apex air travel deck used in Pilatus’ PC-12NG single-engine turboprop. Pilatus calls the PC-24 suite a sophisticated cockpit environment (ACE). This will include four 12-inch display screens, the Smartview synthetic vision system, and TCAS II ability, together with an inertial reference system, WAAS GPS navigators efficient in localizer efficiency with vertical support (LPV), and visual flight planning functionality.
Oscar Schwenk, chairman of Pilatus’ Board of Directors, said he had no question that the PC-24 will be simply as effective as the PC-12, which has racked up more than 1,200 sales. “It’s not a ‘me too product,” he stated.
Two Williams International FJ44-4A engines help the PC-24 climb to its maximum elevation FL450 in under 30 mins and achieve a high-speed cruise of 425 ktas at FL300. Calling it a “extremely versatile jet,” Pilatus on May 21 introduced its brand-new, $8.9 million PC-24 twinjet at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exposition in Geneva. The PC-24 will have an avionics suite that obtains greatly from the Honeywell Primus Apex flight deck made use of in Pilatus’ PC-12NG single-engine turboprop. Pilatus calls the PC-24 suite an advanced cockpit environment (ACE).
