Pilatus Aircraft
Encyclopedia
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. is an aircraft manufacturer located in Stans
, Switzerland
. The company employs more than 1,100 people.
The company was established in 1939, but it was not until 1944 that a Pilatus-built aircraft, the SB-2 Pelican
, first took to the air. Soon after, in 1945, Pilatus started producing the P-2
trainer for the Swiss Air Force
, of which 54 were built.
This was followed by the P-3
military trainer, built for the Swiss Air Force (72 aircraft) and the Brazilian Navy
(6 aircraft), in 1953.
In 1959, the legendary civilian PC-6 Porter
was introduced. This popular utility aircraft and its successor, the Turbo Porter, are still being built today.
Pilatus introduced the PC-11
(also known as the B-4) all-metal glider
in 1972, of which a total of 322 were eventually built.
1978 saw the first flight of the tandem-seat PC-7 Turbo Trainer
, although an earlier (converted) version first flew in 1966. To date, more than 450 PC-7s have been built.
In 1979, Pilatus acquired Britten-Norman
, constructor of the Britten-Norman Islander
and Britten-Norman Defender
aircraft.
Pilatus built the first PC-9 Advanced Turbo Trainer
in 1984; more than 250 aircraft of this type have been built to date.
The first of more than 70 PC-7 MkII Turbo Trainers
was built in 1994. The same year saw the introduction of Pilatus' most successful plane, the turboprop
-powered PC-12
multi-purpose aircraft. To date, more than 1000 have been built.
The first PC-12 Eagle surveillance aircraft was built in 1995, further developments led to the PC-12 Spectre, and in recent years adoption of the PC-12 by the USAF as the U-28A. It is marketed in the western hemisphere by Pilatus Business Aircraft - a wholly owned subsidiary of Pilatus Aircraft headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado
- which was established in the United States
in 1996.
TSA Transairco SA of Geneva
was procured by Pilatus in 1997. In 1998 Pilatus Australia
Pty Ltd was established, while Britten-Norman was sold.
In December 2000, the owners Unaxis (previously called Oerlikon-Bührle) sold Pilatus to a consortium of Swiss investors.
The latest-generation PC-21
advanced trainer was rolled out in 2002. Pilatus recently signed contracts to deliver 19 PC-21s to the Singapore
Air Force and a further 6 PC-21s to the Swiss Air Force.
The Next Generation PC-12 began delivering to customers early in 2008, featuring a more powerful engine, integrated Honeywell
APEX Avionics and a host of other modifications.
Stans
Stans is the capital of the canton of Nidwalden in Switzerland.-History:Stans is one of the oldest settlements in the entire Nidwalden valley. The first traces of human settlement date to the 2nd Century BC...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The company employs more than 1,100 people.
History
Pilatus SB-2
The Pilatus SB-2 Pelican was a civil utility aircraft developed by the newly formed Pilatus Aircraft company during World War II. Its configuration was slightly unusual, in that it was provided with tricycle undercarriage , and a wing that had a slight forward sweep.Work on the SB-2 Pelikan, a...
, first took to the air. Soon after, in 1945, Pilatus started producing the P-2
Pilatus P-2
|The armed P-2-06 version had similar specifications except for increased weights: empty 1522 kg ; loaded 1975 kg .-References:* Green, W & Pollinger, G, The World's Fighting Planes . London: MacDonald....
trainer for the Swiss Air Force
Swiss Air Force
The Swiss Air Force is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on July 31, 1914, as part of the Army and as of January 1966 an independent service.In peacetime, Dübendorf is the operational Air Force HQ...
, of which 54 were built.
This was followed by the P-3
Pilatus P-3
-References:*Jane's All the world's aircraft 1956-7 p. 223: London, Jane's All The World's Aircraft Publishing Co, Ltd*-External links:*...
military trainer, built for the Swiss Air Force (72 aircraft) and the Brazilian Navy
Brazilian Navy
The Brazilian Navy is a branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. It is the largest navy in Latin America...
(6 aircraft), in 1953.
In 1959, the legendary civilian PC-6 Porter
Pilatus PC-6
|-See also:-References:* Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–1994. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1.* Taylor, John W. R. Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965....
was introduced. This popular utility aircraft and its successor, the Turbo Porter, are still being built today.
Pilatus introduced the PC-11
Pilatus PC-11
|-References:* Hardy, M. Gliders & Sailplanes of the World. Ian Allan, 1982...
(also known as the B-4) all-metal glider
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
in 1972, of which a total of 322 were eventually built.
1978 saw the first flight of the tandem-seat PC-7 Turbo Trainer
Pilatus PC-7
The Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer is a low-wing tandem-seat training aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The aircraft is capable of all basic training functions including aerobatics, instrument, tactical and night flying. It has been selected by more than twenty air forces as...
, although an earlier (converted) version first flew in 1966. To date, more than 450 PC-7s have been built.
In 1979, Pilatus acquired Britten-Norman
Britten-Norman
Britten-Norman is a British aircraft manufacturer owned by members of the Zawawi family from the Sultanate of Oman, making it the last remaining UK independent commercial aircraft producer....
, constructor of the Britten-Norman Islander
Britten-Norman Islander
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in...
and Britten-Norman Defender
Britten-Norman Defender
|-External links:*...
aircraft.
Pilatus built the first PC-9 Advanced Turbo Trainer
Pilatus PC-9
The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.-Design and development:...
in 1984; more than 250 aircraft of this type have been built to date.
The first of more than 70 PC-7 MkII Turbo Trainers
Pilatus PC-7
The Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer is a low-wing tandem-seat training aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The aircraft is capable of all basic training functions including aerobatics, instrument, tactical and night flying. It has been selected by more than twenty air forces as...
was built in 1994. The same year saw the introduction of Pilatus' most successful plane, the turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
-powered PC-12
Pilatus PC-12
The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The main market for the aircraft is corporate transport and regional airliner operators.-Design and development:...
multi-purpose aircraft. To date, more than 1000 have been built.
The first PC-12 Eagle surveillance aircraft was built in 1995, further developments led to the PC-12 Spectre, and in recent years adoption of the PC-12 by the USAF as the U-28A. It is marketed in the western hemisphere by Pilatus Business Aircraft - a wholly owned subsidiary of Pilatus Aircraft headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado
Broomfield, Colorado
The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...
- which was established in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1996.
TSA Transairco SA of Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
was procured by Pilatus in 1997. In 1998 Pilatus Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Pty Ltd was established, while Britten-Norman was sold.
In December 2000, the owners Unaxis (previously called Oerlikon-Bührle) sold Pilatus to a consortium of Swiss investors.
The latest-generation PC-21
Pilatus PC-21
|-See also:-External links:*http://www.pilatus-aircraft.com*http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/pc_21**...
advanced trainer was rolled out in 2002. Pilatus recently signed contracts to deliver 19 PC-21s to the Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
Air Force and a further 6 PC-21s to the Swiss Air Force.
The Next Generation PC-12 began delivering to customers early in 2008, featuring a more powerful engine, integrated Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
APEX Avionics and a host of other modifications.
Aircraft
- Pilatus P-2Pilatus P-2|The armed P-2-06 version had similar specifications except for increased weights: empty 1522 kg ; loaded 1975 kg .-References:* Green, W & Pollinger, G, The World's Fighting Planes . London: MacDonald....
- Pilatus P-3Pilatus P-3-References:*Jane's All the world's aircraft 1956-7 p. 223: London, Jane's All The World's Aircraft Publishing Co, Ltd*-External links:*...
- Pilatus PC-6Pilatus PC-6|-See also:-References:* Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–1994. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1.* Taylor, John W. R. Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965....
Porter and Turbo Porter - Pilatus PC-7Pilatus PC-7The Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer is a low-wing tandem-seat training aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The aircraft is capable of all basic training functions including aerobatics, instrument, tactical and night flying. It has been selected by more than twenty air forces as...
- Pilatus PC-9Pilatus PC-9The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.-Design and development:...
- Pilatus PC-11Pilatus PC-11|-References:* Hardy, M. Gliders & Sailplanes of the World. Ian Allan, 1982...
/Pilatus B-4 - Pilatus PC-12Pilatus PC-12The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The main market for the aircraft is corporate transport and regional airliner operators.-Design and development:...
- Pilatus PC-21Pilatus PC-21|-See also:-External links:*http://www.pilatus-aircraft.com*http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/pc_21**...
- Pilatus SB-2Pilatus SB-2The Pilatus SB-2 Pelican was a civil utility aircraft developed by the newly formed Pilatus Aircraft company during World War II. Its configuration was slightly unusual, in that it was provided with tricycle undercarriage , and a wing that had a slight forward sweep.Work on the SB-2 Pelikan, a...
Pelican