Pilatus PC-9

The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.

Development

The PC-9 can be viewed as a further, more powerful, evolution of the earlier PC-7. It retains the overall layout of its predecessor but has very little structural commonality with it. Amongst other improvements, the PC-9 features a larger cockpit with stepped ejection seats and also has a ventral airbrake.

The PC-9 programme officially started in 1982. Although some aerodynamic elements were tested on a PC-7 during 1982 and 1983, the first flight of the first PC-9 prototype took place on 7 May 1984. A second prototype flew on 20 July of the same year; this prototype had all the standard electronic flight instrumentation and environmental control systems installed and was thus almost fully representative of the production version.

Certification was achieved in September 1985. Unfortunately by this time the PC-9 had lost in the RAF trainer competition to the Short Tucano. However, the marketing links that Pilatus built up with British Aerospace during the competition stood them in good stead, as it soon led to their first order from Saudi Arabia.

The first production aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force first flew on 19 May 1987, under the Australian designation PC-9/A.

Condor Flugdienst of Germany uses 10 examples of the target-towing variant under the designation PC-9B. This variant has an increased fuel capacity enabling flight for up 3 hours and 20 minutes as well as two Southwest RM-24 winches under the wings. These winches can reel out a target up to 3,5 kilometres.

In order to compete in the United States JPATS competition, Pilatus and Beech Aircraft Corporation developed an extensively modified version of the PC-9, called the Beech Pilatus PC-9 Mk.II. It was later renamed the T-6A Texan II and is now built and marketed independently by Raytheon (who purchased Beech in 1980).

The PC-9 M was introduced in 1997 as the new standard model. It has an enlarged dorsal fin in order to improve longitudinal stability, modified wingroot fairings, stall strips on the leading edges as well as new engine and propeller controls. This version booked some early successes: Slovenia placed an order for 9 in December of the same year, Oman ordered 12 examples in January 1999 and Ireland signed a contract for 8 in January 2003.

A total of more than 250 aircraft of this type have been built to date.

Safety record

The PC9 has a generally good safety record, with only one serious crash to date. A PC9/M Pilatus belonging to the Cypriot National Guard crashed on the 10th September 2005 near the village of Kolossi in Cyprus. The crash killed two senior officers in the National Guard, flight lieutenant Feraios Koulloumos and co-pilot Fotis Constantinou. As yet the causes of the crash are unknown, with the PC9 flying some 80km off course circling erratically, eventually scraping the bell tower of a local church.

One PC9 has crashed in Slovenia on 3. March 2004. The crash happened near a village of Spodnji Zerjavci in the region of Stayerska. The plane was flying low and after hitting some tree-tops it crashed in a field. The crash was later put down to the pilot suffering a heart attack during flight.

Three PC-9/A(T) aircraft have crashed while in service with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The first, in 1991, was attributed to crew disorientation while flying in Instrument Meterological Conditions and resulted in two fatalities. The second occurred in 1992 when the crew accidentally shut the engine down on final approach to Albany, West Australia. Both crew ejected safely. The third occurred in 2005 at East Sale, Victoria, resulting from a mid-air collision between two Roulette (RAAF aerobatic display team) aircraft, with the single crew member of one aircraft ejecting safely and the second aircraft landing successfully. For more information on these accidents, refer to the link at http://www.adf-serials.com/3a23.shtml.

Users

An incomplete list of PC-9 users:

Angola: 4 (Delivered from 1987)
Australia: 67 (Two were supplied directly by Pilatus, 17 were assembled from Pilatus-supplied kits and 48 were built in Australia by Hawker de Havilland. The type is also used by the Roulettes aerobatic display team of the Royal Australian Air Force.)
Bulgaria: 6 (Delivered in 2004)
Croatia: 17 (Delivered from 1997) as well as three second-hand examples
Cyprus: 1 (Delivered from 1989. Formerly two, one was destroyed in a crash on the 10th September 2005)
Iraq: 20 (Delivered from 1987)
Ireland: 8 (These were ordered in January 2003 for delivery by mid-2004)
Myanmar: 10 (Delivered from April 1986)
Oman: 12 (Delivered from 1999 to March 2000)
Saudi Arabia: 50 (Delivered from December 1986. These examples were sold via British Aerospace.)
Slovenia: 9 (Delivered from November 1998. These examples have been upgraded in Israel.)
Switzerland: 14 (Delivered from 1987. Two returned to Pilatus after evaluation.)
Thailand: 36 (Delivered from 1991)

The United States Air Force and United States Navy uses a redesigned PC-9 as a basic pilot training aircraft under the designation of T-6A Texan II. This version is built by Raytheon in Wichita, Kansas. Over 700 are to be built, with Pilatus receiving royalties.

Specifications (PC-9)

General characteristics

Crew: one or two pilots
Capacity: two seats (tandem)
Length: 10.70 m (35 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 10.12 m (33 ft 2 in)
Height: 3.26 m (10 ft 8 in)
Wing area: 16.3 m² (175 ft²)
Empty: 1,685 kg (3,715 lb)
Loaded: 2,250 kg (4,950 lb)
Maximum takeoff: 3,200 kg (7,055 lb)
Powerplant: 1x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62 turboprop, 708 kW (950 shp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 500 km/h (311 mph)
Range: 1,642 km (1,020 miles)
Service ceiling: 11,580 m (38,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 1,247 m/min (4,090 ft/min)
Wing loading: 138 kg/m² (28 lb/ft²)
Power/Mass: 0.31 kW/kg (0.19 hp/lb)