Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd
Formed as Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG in 1939, as a subsidiary of the Oerlikon armaments company. First aircraft was SB-2 Pelican six-seat light transport of 1944, but prototype only built. Followed by P-2 advanced trainer, produced in quantity for the Swiss Air Force in late 1940s, and the P-3 advanced trainer from 1953. Series production of the P-3 followed for the Swiss Air Force, and six went to the Brazilian Navy. In May 1959 Pilatus flew the first PC-6 Porter STOL monoplane with a Lycoming piston engine; this type has been in continuous production ever since, later developments using Astazou, Garrett, and most recently Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine as the PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter. Pilatus also signed a license agreement for production of Turbo Porters by Fairchild-Hiller in U.S.A. Also undertook Mirage production and maintenance work for the Swiss Air Force.
Became known as Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, based at Stans, Switzerland,.the product range encompassing the PC-7 Turbo Trainer (first flown August 1978 in production form), PC-7 Mk II (M) Turbo Trainer (first flown September 1992), the PC-9 (M) Advanced Turbo Trainer (first flown May 1984) with the highest engine power of the range and also selected in 1995 for U.S. military service as the Raytheon/Beech T-6A Texan II, and the PC-12 utility and business turboprop transport (first flown May 1991 and also available in military form). Also, in 1979 Pilatus took control of the LJ.K.’s Britten-Norman Ltd company, becoming Pilatus Britten-Norman, but sold this company in July 1998.
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., the Swiss aircraft manufacturer, has sold all manufacturing and marketing rights to the B 4 all metal, aerobatic glider to Nippi, Japan Aircraft Manufacturing Company. The glider license was sold because of a lack of space in the Pilatus factory, where much room is devot¬ed to production of the PC 7 Turbo Trainer. Seventy eight B 4s were sold in 1977, and 320 were in operation. The first Japanese airplanes were expected in April 1979.
The take-over of the assets of Britten-Norman by Pilatus Aircraft was finalised on 34 January 1979 when the necessary documents were signed. To conclude the deal, Pilatus – itself a member of the Oerlilon-Buehrje Group – set up a British subsidiary, Pilatus Britten-Norman Ltd, and this company has acquired the B-N assets which include the Bembridge factory, the complete Islander / Trilander production hardware (plus stock materials) located at the Fairey SA factory in Gosselies, Belgium and the exclusive production and marketing rights for all Britten-Norman products.
In July 1998 Pilatus sold Britten-Norman to private investment company Litchfield Continental Ltd.
