Pilatus PC-6

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The Pilatus PC-6 Porter (sometimes nicknamed the Jeep of the air) is a civilian utility aircraft built by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.

Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 3 Operators 3.1 Military operators 3.2 Law Enforcement operators 3.3 Civil operators 4 Specifications (PC-6 B2 Turbo Porter) 4.1 General characteristics 4.2 Performance 5 External links 6 Related content

[edit] Design and development

The first prototype made its maiden flight on 4 May 1959 powered by a 254 kW piston engine. The first Turbo Porter, powered by a turboprop, flew in 1961. The Turbo Porter received an engine upgrade in 1963, which increased its power to its present value of 410 kW.

In the United States, the Porter was manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller. In service with the U.S. Air Force, it received the designation AU-23A Peacemaker. In U.S. Army use, it was designated UV-20 Chiricahua.

[edit] Operational history

The PC-6 is famous in the aviation world for its Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) performance on almost any type of terrain - it can take-off within a distance of 195 m and land within a distance of 130 m while carrying a payload of 1,500 kg (The length of a soccer field is enough, Pilatus test pilots were able to land on not much more than 50m of space ). Thanks to its STOL performance, the PC-6 holds the world record for highest landing by a fixed wing aircraft, at 5750m, on the Dhaulagiri glacier in Nepal.

[edit] Operators

[edit] Military operators

•  Angola
•  Argentina
•  Austria
•  Australia
•  Bolivia
•  Burma (Myanmar)
•  Chad
•  Colombia
•  Ecuador
•  France
•  Iran
•  Mexico
•  Oman
•  Peru
•  Slovenia
•  Switzerland
•  Thailand
•  United States: US Air Force, US Army

[edit] Law Enforcement operators

•  Malaysia: Royal Malaysian Police

[edit] Civil operators

•  United States: Air America

[edit] Specifications (PC-6 B2 Turbo Porter)

[edit] General characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot
• Capacity: up to ten passengers, or up to 1,530 (3,366 lb) of cargo
• Length: 11.00 m (36 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 15.9 m (52 ft)
• Height: 3.20 m (10 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 28.8 m² (310 ft²)
• Empty: 1270 kg (2,800 lb)
• Loaded: 2800kg ( 6173lb)
• Maximum takeoff: 2,770 kg (6,108 lb)
• Powerplant: 1x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 turboprop, 410 kW (550 shp)

[edit] Performance

• Maximum speed: 244 km/h (153 mph)
• Range: 1,612 km (870 NM)
• Service ceiling: 8,197 m (25,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 331 m/min (1,010 ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
• Power/Mass: kW/kg (hp/lb) ps

[edit] External links

• Pilatus PC-6 Official Website

[edit] Related content

Related development:

Comparable aircraft: PAC 750XL

Designation sequence (Pilatus): P-2 - P-3 - PC-6 - PC-7 - PC-9 - PC-11 - PC-12 - PC-21

Designation sequence (US military U series): U-17 - U-18 - U-22 - U-23 - U-24 - U-25 - U-26

Designation sequence (US military V series): XV-15 - V-16 - V-18 - UV-20 - V-22 - V-23