The prototype of the PA-6 NX580 flew in March 1947. All-metal; monocoque fuselage, cantilever wing with trailing-edge flaps. Also tried with 165hp Franklin.
A second all metal aircraft was built and scrapped after the undercarriage failed. The tail from the second aircraft was fitted to the PA-23 experimental aircraft. The Sky Sedan was cancelled although six Schweizer-built production fuselages had been delivered.
Market decline forced cancellation and only one was built. At the beginning of 2010, this plane still sat in a hanger in Michigan.
Engine: 1 x Continental E-165, 165hp Wingspan: 10.56 m / 35 ft 8 in Length: 7.92 m / 26 ft 0 in Height: 2.48 m / 8 ft 2 in Wing area: 18.63 sq.m / 200.53 sq ft Max take-off weight: 896 kg / 1975 lb Empty weight: 471 kg / 1038 lb Max. speed: 225 km/h / 140 mph Cruise speed: 201 km/h / 125 mph Ceiling: 4270 m / 14000 ft Range: 805 km / 500 miles Crew: 3
After being an investor in and later treasurer of that Bradford firm the Taylor Broth¬ers Aircraft Company a local oilman named William T. Piper bought the company at a bankruptcy sale for $761. It was 1930, and C. Gilbert Taylor, the former company’s designer and only surviving partner, was given half in¬terest in the new company, which he called the Taylor Aircraft Company.
About the time the J 2 rolled out, so did C.G. Taylor. There had been friction between Taylor and Piper for some time, so Taylor left and Jamouneau took over as chief engineer.
The company was beginning to see some improve¬ment in its always precarious financial situation, and then, in 1937, the plant burned down. By 1937 the company was producing 18 aircraft a week, but fire destroyed the facility on St.Patrick’s Day that year. It was a severe financial blow to the company and to William T. Piper. But instead of being an excuse to quit, the fire only in¬creased Piper’s determination to prove his point. Refi¬nancing was arranged, the name was changed to Piper Aircraft Company, and J 2 production was resumed in a vacant two storey Susquehanna silk mill conveniently located next to the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania airport. That same year, Piper assumed the presidency of the firm, making official a situation that had existed informally since the early 1930s.
In recog¬nition of Walter Jamouneau’s contribution to the E 2, subsequent models were called the J 2 and J 3.
The PA 11 followed next in the Cub line, and the PA 18 Super Cub with essentially the same structural and aerodynamic con¬figuration as the 1932 E 2 continued.
Initial production type was the Cub two-seat high-wing monoplane, of which 10,000 had been completed before the end of 1941.
Piper’s major contribution to the military in World War 2 was not, as often assumed, the Cub liaison and trainer, but steel radar masts.
In 1948 Piper took over the Stinson Division of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation and acquired the Stinson Voyager production rights, but production of this type was soon halted.
Piper’s first twin was the four-seat Apache, which entered production in 1954. The later four-seat single-engine Comanche first flew in 1956. A whole line of light aircraft has followed the original Cub, from the Pacer/Tri-Pacer/Colt series of high-wing monoplanes to their successors, the Cherokee low-wing series, first of which flew in 1960. Piper produced the specialized Pawnee agricultural monoplane in 1959.
William T. Piper died in 1970.
A series of twins developed from the Apache to Aztec, Twin Comanche, Seneca, and Navajo, plus other aircraft such as single-engined PA-38 Tomahawk. Company became subsidiary of Bangor Punta Corporation, then Lear Siegler Inc (1984), and later Romeo Charlie Inc (1987), finally with only Cheyenne and Malibu Mirage offered, but became insolvent early 1990s, though reduced-rate production continued while a buyer was sought.
The New Piper Aircraft Inc restarted production of Warrior, Archer, Arrow, Dakota, Saratoga and Seneca models at Vero Beach in June 1987 following the sale of the 50 year old aircraft company to Stuart Millar in May.
The Pilatus Porter PC 6 first flew on 4 May 1959 and remained in production in 2005. Once marketed as the “Heli Porter” by Fairchild in the US, this name more accurately describes the type’s abilities, although its true success came only after the turboprop engine was introduced to the design from May 1961 onward.
After the first of five prototypes flew on 4 May 1959, a pre-series of twenty aircraft was completed by mid-1961. A second series of twenty had been delivered by mid-1963. One was delivered to the Colombian Air Force.
The PC-6 was available with the 340 hp geared and super-charged GSO-480-B1A6 or the 350 hp geared TGO-540-B1A engines.
The Turbo-Porter development first flew on 2 May 1961, powered by a Astazou IIE turbo-prop.
Entering production in 1961, the Turbo-Porter light STOL utility transport, derived from the piston-engined Porter, has been built in substantial numbers for both civil and military applications. Identical to the earlier PC-6, except the engine, the PC-6A Turbo-Porter is equipped with a Turbomeca Astazou II 530 shp engine in place of the Lycoming GSO-480 of 340 hp. Cruise is 170 mph carrying eight passengers or an 1160 lb payload. Take-off distance is 425 ft and it can be equipped low-pressure tires for grass fields, skies or floats.
Production later changed to the improved Astazou IIG engine.
Fairchild possessed a US manufacturing licence for the Turbo-Porter, and in early 1964 was offering the type, re-engined with a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-6 turboprop. Two Astarzou-powered Turbo Porters were evaluated by the US Army during February-March 1964.
Operated by the US Army as the UV-20A Chiricahua.
In production since 1985, the 1987 production version of the Turbo-Porter was the PC-6/B2-H4, which has an increased payload. This was achieved by improving the aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft by fitting new wing-tip fairings and an enlarged dorsal fin for increased weights, and is normally fitted with six quickly-removable seats in the main cabin. All PC-6s built since mid-1985 are of the H4 variant. Earlier PC-6/B1-H2s and /B2-H2s can be retrofitted to H4 standard if equipped with an electrical longitudinal trimming system. By mid-1986 456 PC-6s of all models had been delivered to civil and military operators, including those built under licence by Fairchild, as the AU-24 Peacemaker, in the USA.
The Credible Chase programme, an off shoot of Pave Coin, in which a number of aircraft were evaluated by the USAAF at Eglin AFB in order to come up with a new light-strike attack aircraft for the South Vietnamese Air Force, resulted in a 15 each order for the Helio Stallion and Fairchild Peacemaker. These aircraft, carrying the designa¬tions AU 24 and AU 23 respectively, are militarised versions of their commercial counterparts, but have increased gross weights, underwing and fuselage hardpoints and Gatling guns firing from the cabin doors.
Fairchild production of Pilatus Turbo-Porters begun June 1966; 15 of COIN version delivered to USAF as AU-23A Peacemaker, transferred to Royal Thai Air Force.
The PC-6/B1-H2 and B2-H4 were certified under Switzerland Federal Office for Civil Aviation FOCA F 56-10.
More than 480 PC-6s had been delivered by 1990.
As the certification of the PC-24 Super Versatile Jet got closer, in July 2017 Pilatus announced it was discontinuing the PC-6 Porter. The Porter has seen one of the longest continuous production runs of any airplane model since it first rolled off the line in Switzerland in 1959.
While the production line has been running for nearly six decades, the number of airplanes produced is nowhere near mass-produced. The Swiss manufacturer has delivered a little more than 500 of the multi-mission high-wing airplane and approximately another 100 Porters were produced in the United States under license.
Pilatus said orders have dropped in recent years. Pilatus will continue to take orders for the airplane until mid 2018 and will cease production in early 2019. Pilatus has also committed to supporting the existing fleet for at least the next 20 years. There will be no layoffs of employees as a result of the production termination. Instead, workers from the PC-6 product line will transfer to the PC-24.
PC-6 Porter Engine: Lycoming GSO 480, 340 hp Wingspan: 49 ft 10.5 in Length: 33 ft 5.5 in Height: 10 ft 6 in Wing area: 306.8 sq.ft Empty wight: 2360 lb Loaded weight: 4320 lb Max speed: 143 mph Max cruise: 135 mph Econ cruise: 125 mph ROC: 1025 fpm Service ceiling: 23,950 ft Max range: 750 mi
PC-6 Turbo-Porter Engine: 1 x P&WAC PT6A, 410 kW. Wing span: 15.87 m / 52.07 ft Wing area: 30.15 sq.m / 324.54 sq.ft Overall length: 10.90 m / 35.76 ft Height: 3.20 m / 10.50 ft Track: 3.00 m Empty wt: 1270 kg. MTOW: 2880 kg Payload: 960 kg. Fuel internal: 645 (+490) lt Capacity: 10 pax. Design diving speed (VD): 167 kt Never exceed speed (VNE): 151 kt Design cruising speed (VC): 119 kt Max. flap extended speed (VFE): 95 kt Stall speed (idle power) flaps up (VS): 58 kt Stall (idle power) flaps dn (VSO): 52 kt Max. operating altitude: 25,000 ft Service ceiling (at max. weight): 20,500 ft Max. rate of climb at sea level: 1,010 ft/min Max. rate of climb at 5,000 ft: 935 ft/min Take-off ground roll at sea level: 197 m / 646 ft Take-off dist to 15 m (50 ft): 475 m / 1,558 ft Landing ground roll at sea level: 127 m / 417 ft Landing distance from 15 m (50 ft): 315 m / 1,033 ft Take-off ground roll at sea level: 197 m / 646 ft Take-off distance to 15 m (50 ft): 440 m / 1,443 ft Max. Range at opt. speed, no reserves, at 10,000 ft: 500 nm Endurance at opt. speed, no reserves: 4 h 20 min Max range with underwing tanks: 870 nm Endurance with underwing tanks: 7 h 35 min Average fuel consumption: 148 litres/h (39 US gal/h)
PC-6A H2 Engine: Turbomeca Astazou IIE turboprop, 523 shp. Max speed: 170 mph Normal cruise 80%: 155 mph at 9800 ft ROC: 1700 fpm Service ceiling: 28,000 ft Max range: 620 mi Endurance: 4 hr 20 min Empty weight: 2248 lb MTOW: 4320 lb Wingspan: 49 ft 10.5 in Length: 36 ft 1 in Height: 10 ft 6 in Wing area: 306.8 sq.ft
PC-6-B1-H2 Engine: P&W PT6A-20, 550 shp.
PC 6 B2 Turbo Porter Engine : Pratt & Whittney PT A-27 Length: 36.089 ft / 11.0 m Height : 10.499 ft / 3.2 m Wingspan : 49.869 ft / 15.2 m Wing area : 310.003 sq.ft / 28.8 sq.m Max take off weight : 6107.9 lb / 2770.0 kg Weight empty : 2932.7 lb / 1330.0 kg Max. weight carried : 3175.2 lb / 1440.0 kg Max. speed : 132 kt / 244 km/h Initial climb rate : 1968.5 ft/min / 10.0 m/s Service ceiling : 32808 ft / 10000 m Wing load : 19.68 lb/sq.ft / 96.0 kg/sq.m Range : 721 nm / 1336 km Endurance : 6 h Crew : 1+7
PC-6/B2-H2 Engine: P&WAC PT6A-27, 550 hp / 507kW Wingspan: 15.87 m / 52 ft 1 in Length: 10.9 m / 36 ft 9 in Height: 3.2 m / 11 ft 6 in Wing area: 30.15 sq.m / 324.53 sq ft Wing loading: 15.57 lb/sq.ft Pwr loading: 8.8 lb/hp. Gross wt: 4850 lb Empty wt: 2680 lb. Equipped useful load: 1973 lb Payload max fuel: 851 lb. Range max fuel/cruise: 388 nm/2.9 hr Range max fuel / range: 461 nm/ 3.6 hr. Service ceiling: 30,000 ft Max cruise: 135 kt. Max range cruise: 130 kt Stall: 44-50 kt. 1.3 Vso: 57 kt ROC: 1270 fpm. Min field length: 770 ft Fuel cap: 1122 lb. Seats: 11.
PC-6-B2-H4 Engine: PT6A-27, 680 shp (508 kW) flat-rated at 550 shp (410 kW). Wing area: 29sq.m. MTOW Std: 4850 lb MTOW Special cat: 6000 lb Cruise: 120-135 kt Stall: 44-50 kt. TO run: 370 ft TO 50 ft: 780 ft Range (@4850 lb): 450 nm Payload: 2000 lb. Pax cap: 11
The success of the P-2 led to development of a new general-purpose trainer under the designation Pilatus P-3, the prototype of which was flown for the first time on 3 September 1953. Intended for use as both a primary and advanced trainer, the P-3 is of cantilever low-wing monoplane configuration and differs from its predecessor by being of all-rnetal construction. It has retractable tricycle landing gear, but as the P-3 was required by the Swiss air force for ‘all-through’ training, from the primary stage to the point of passing on to the de Havilland Vampire jet trainer, a lower-powered engine was adopted, the Avco Lycoming GO-435-C2A. Like the P-2 that preceded it into service, the P-3 has similar standards of equipment or weapons for comprehensive pilot training by day or night. A total of 72 P-3s was built for the Swiss air force, and in 1993 a handful of these remain in service.
A small number were supplied to Brazil, but these were superseded by indigenous trainers by 1993.
P-3 Engine: 1 x Avco Lycoming GO-435-C2A, 194kW Max take-off weight: 1500 kg / 3307 lb Loaded weight: 1110 kg / 2447 lb Wingspan: 10.4 m / 34 ft 1 in Length: 8.75 m / 29 ft 8 in Height: 3.05 m / 10 ft 0 in Wing area: 16.5 sq.m / 177.60 sq ft Max. speed: 310 km/h / 193 mph Ceiling: 5500 m / 18050 ft Range: 750 km / 466 miles Crew: 2
P3-05 Engine: Lycoming GO-435-C2A, 260 hp Propeller: Hartzell HC-83V20-2C, 3-blade
The P-2 first flew in 1945 as a trainer for operation from high-altitude airfields, fitted with night-flying, radio and oxygen equipment.
The first 27 were built as pilot trainers while the balance of 26 were built for weapons and observer training. They were built using many parts from stocks of Bf109 components.
P-2 Engine: 1 x Argus As 410 A-2, 347kW / 465 hp Max take-off weight: 1970 kg / 4343 lb Empty weight: 1520 kg / 3351 lb Wingspan: 11 m / 36 ft 1 in Length: 9.07 m / 30 ft 9 in Height: 2.7 m / 9 ft 10 in Wing area: 17 sq.m / 182.99 sq ft Max. speed: 340 km/h / 211 mph Cruise speed: 305 km/h / 190 mph Range: 865 km / 538 miles Crew: 2
The only glider manufactured by Swiss aircraft manufacturer. First flying in 1972 the Pilatus B4 is an all-metal design to Standard Class specifications. It has full aerobatic capability including inverted maneuvers.
The B4 is a cantilever shoulder-wing monoplane with a T tail; the wings are of light alloy with a U-shaped light alloy main spar and hard PVC foam ribs between the metal ribs; the large skin panels are attached to the main spar by a single row of countersunk rivets, and the ailerons are of similar construction. There are light alloy spoilers in the wing upper surfaces at the 60% chord line. The semi-monocoque fuselage is also of light alloy, with a flush-riveted skin, and the rear fuselage consists of two half-shells riveted together. The light alloy T-tail has PVC ribs and a fixed-incidence tailplane, and the elevator has a bias spring for trimming. The landing gear consists of a non-retractable unsprung Tost monowheel with drum brakes, although a retractable one can be fitted if the customer desires, and there is a fixed tailwheel; small doors enclose the monowheel when retracted. The pilot sits in a semi-reclining position under a sideways-hinging canopy that is jettisonable in flight, and a battery radio and oxygen system are optional.
Pilatus B4-PC11
Certification for full aerobatic manoeuvres was granted in January 1975. Of all-metal construction, the type was designed by Ingo Herbot as a private venture and first flew in prototype form, as the B-4, in 1966; the design was taken over and developed by Pilatus as the B4-PC11, which first flew in 1972. Swiss certification was granted on 12 June that year, and the first delivery was made shortly afterwards. Seventy eight B 4s were sold in 1977, and 320 were in operation.
More than 330 examples of the Standard Class Swiss single-seater had been delivered to customers in no less than 30 countries by March 1978, and the production rate was as high as 7-8 aircraft per month.
On 19 June 1978 Pilatus announced the sale of all manufacturing and sales rights in the B4 to the Japanese firm of Nippi – Nihon Kikoki Kabushiki Kaisha (or Japan Aircraft Manufacturing Co Ltd) so as to be able to concentrate on production and development of the PC-6 Turbo-Porter and PC-7 Turbo-Trainer.
The first Nippi-built B4-PC11 AF was rolled out on 1 June 1979 and initial production was to be at three per month after Japanese certification. The first Nippi-built B4-PC11 AF made its maiden flight on 25 November 1979. Pilatus was to continue the product support of Swiss-built examples.
Number of aircraft built to 6/30/81 400.
Pilatus B4-PC11
Pilatus B4 Wing span: 49 ft 2.5 in Length: 21 ft 6.5 in. Seats: 1 Wing loading: 5.13 lb/sq.ft. Aspect ratio: 16.1 Max TO wt: 770 lb. Empty wt: 506 lb Useful load: 264 lb. Max speed: 130 kt Rough air speed: 130 kt. Stall: 30 kt Lift to drag: 35 @ 46 kt. Sink: 2.1 fps @ 39 kt.
B4-PC11 Wing span: 15.0 m / 49 ft 2.5 in Length: 6.57 m / 21 ft 6.5 in Height: 1.57 m / 5 ft 1 in Wing area: 14.04 sq.m / 151.1 sq ft Wing section: NACA 643 618 Aspect ratio: 16.0 Empty weight: 230 kg / 507 lb Max weight: 350 kg / 772 lb Water ballast: None Max wing loading: 24.93 kg/sq.m / 5.1 lb/sq ft Max speed: 129.5 kt / 240 km/h Stalling speed: 33.5 kt / 62 km/h Min sinking speed: 0.64 m/sec / 2.1 ft/sec at 39 kt / 72 km/h Max rough air speed: 129.5 kt / 240 km/h Best glide ratio: 35 at 46 kt / 85 km/h
First product of Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG was a four/six-seat light transport designated Pilatus SB.2 Pelican, a braced high-wing monoplane with fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 336kW Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior radial engine. The pilot and co-pilot/navigator were seated in a separate compartment forward of the wing leading edge, with a main cabin below the wing which could be arranged to accommodate two to four passengers according to layout. The Pelican, which was first flown during 1944, failed to gain any commercial interest.
SB-2 Engine: 1 x Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior, 336kW Wingspan: 15.5 m / 51 ft 10 in Max. Speed: 250 km/h / 155 mph Crew: 2 Passengers: 2-4
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.
The 1966 PIK-17a Tumppi (‘Shorty’) was a single-seat shoulder-wing sailplane of wooden construction. With a Wortmann luminaire wing profile, the max speed was 235 km/h.
PIK-17A
The 1968 PIK-17b Tintti (Thermal Updraught) was of GRP construction.
All Aero 