Pilatus is closing in on certification and first delivery of its new PC-24 “Super Versatile” jet, hoping for both by the end of the year. Speaking at a press conference on Monday at NBAA 2017, Pilatus CEO Marcus Bucher said, “We are at the very end of the development program.” The three development aircraft (P01, P02 and P03) have so far completed more than 2,000 hours over some 1,250 flights.
As to whether the order book would be reopened beyond the 84 aircraft the company announced at the PC-24 launch at EBACE 2013, Bucher said, “We want to be sure we can deliver to customer expectations first and you’ll definitely hear from us in 2018 as to when exactly the order book will reopen.”
Bucher said that EASA would fly the aircraft for the final time this week before leaving to complete its paperwork. The Swiss manufacturer is hoping everything is in order for certification, allowing the first customer aircraft to be delivered to U.S. fractional operator PlaneSense by the end of December.
“Most development testing has been completed,” said Bucher. The first two prototype aircraft, P01 and P02, have completed flight testing. P02 was rolled from Henderson Airport to the Las Vegas Convention Center through the city’s streets in the early hours Saturday morning, along with 15 other aircraft, and is now safely on Pilatus’ indoor stand (Booth C12621).
Back at Pilatus’s base in Stans, Switzerland, P01 is taking part in post-certification activities already, aimed at helping customers to define their options. P03, meanwhile, is taking part in a 150-hour “function and reliability” campaign that must be completed before EASA grant the aircraft a type certificate.
Bucher said series production is now ramping up. The first aircraft for PlaneSense had its wing and fuselage mated in July and has since had various systems fitted ready for “intense testing and flight testing.”
To prepare for first deliveries to customers, Pilatus has launched a 24/7 customer service facility and expanded its authorized service center network, equipping them with spare parts. PC-12 customers “will also benefit from the upgraded service,” the company said.
On the training side, Pilatus has developed a full-motion simulator with FlightSafety International, “which will be available for crew instruction in good time ahead of certification.”
Pilatus launched the $8.9 million PC-24 in 2013, revealing at EBACE that May that it had taken orders for 84 aircraft but elected to close the order book while it developed the aircraft. The type proved popular immediately, particularly with existing operators of Pilatus’s PC-12 (and PC-12NG), partly due to it being designed to fly from almost any airfield with a rugged design that also follows the utility-capable tradition of the PC-12. The aircraft will be able to operate from airfields with a balanced field length of as little as 2,690 feet (820m).
Pilatus has developed a new Advanced Cockpit Environment (ACE) with Honeywell and the aircraft is powered by two Williams FJ44-4A rear-mounted turbofans. The PC-24 will be the first FJ44 application to take advantage of Williams’s “Quiet Power Mode,” which allows the engine to provide “quiet, efficient ground power,” eliminating the need for a traditional APU. This further increases its appeal for operations to less well equipped airports. Additionally, the cabin and cockpit can be independently heated or cooled while the engines are turned off.
Also at NBAA 2017 this week, Pilatus said it had selected Latitude Technologies' SkyNode S200 Iridium-based system to provide satcom for the aircraft. “The system replaces the second HF radio for operators that require dual long-range communications systems to meet operational requirements,” said Victoria, Canada-based Latitude.
Asked if his company would respond to Cessna developing the new Denali single-engine turboprop by anhancing its PC-12NG, Bucher told AIN that too few details of the Denali were available at present, noting the company is focused on PC-24 entry-into-service.
