Pilatus PC-21

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The Pilatus PC-21 is a single-turboprop, low wing swept monoplane advanced trainer with a stepped tandem cockpit manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.

Development

In November 1997 Pilatus flew a modified PC-7 Mk.II in order to test improvements for a next generation turboprop trainer. As a result of these tests, Pilatus funded the development of a new training system in November 1998. Development of the PC-21 started in January 1999. Roll-out of the PC-21 prototype was on 30 April 2002 at Pilatus' factory in Stans, Switzerland, with the first flight taking place on 1 July of the same year. The second PC-21 prototype flew on 7 June 2004. One of the prototypes, HB-HZB, crashed on 13 January 2005, in Buochs, Switzerland on an aerobatic training flight, killing the pilot and injuring another person on the ground. The other prototypes: HB-HZA, HB-HZC and HB-HZD, are still flying.

Design

The PC-21 is a completely new aircraft design.[1] The aircraft features a tandem-seating arrangement (student in-front/instructor behind) in a bird strike resistant glass canopy with all round vision, glass cockpit with three large colour liquid crystal displays (LCD), head-up displays (HUD), Hands on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) controls and Zero-zero ejection seats for student and instructor.

Operational history

Six PC-21 have been delivered to the Swiss Air Force, the first four being delivered in April 2008.[2] In December 2010, the Swiss air force ordered another two.[3]

On 21 January 2008, the first PC-21 for the Republic of Singapore Air Force completed its flight test prior to being accepted into service.[4] On 13 July 2008, the type began to provide the RSAF with basic flying training.[5] A further six aircraft have now been delivered with the remaining seven expected to be delivered in August 2008.[5]

During the 2009 Dubai Airshow, UAE announced an order of 25 PC-21 for the United Arab Emirates Air Force to replace their aging fleet of Pilatus PC-7s.[6] UAEAF's first PC-21 made its maiden on 22 November 2010, deliveries expected to commence from first quarter of 2011.[7]

The PC-21 has been offered to the Royal Australian Air Force as part of project AIR 5428 to replace its Pilatus PC-9s.[8] Moreover, the PC-21 has been evaluated by the Spanish Air Force, along the T-6 Texan II and the PZL-130 Orlik III, as a possible substitute for its ENAER T-35 Pillan and CASA C-101 Aviojet trainer aircraft.[9]

Operators

 Singapore
  Switzerland
 United Arab Emirates
 Saudi Arabia
 Qatar
  • Qatar Emiri Air Force: 24 PC-21 on order, ordered July 2012, first delivery scheduled for 2014.[12]

Specifications (PC-21)

The Pilatus PC-21; note the stepped tandem cockpit

Data from Pilatus Aircraft[13]

General characteristics

  • Crew: Two (student & instructor)
  • Length: 11.233 m (36 ft 11 in)
  • Wingspan: 9.108 m (29 ft 11 in)
  • Height: 3.749 m (12 ft 4 in)
  • Wing area: 15.221 m² (163.848 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 2,270 kg (5,005 lb)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 3,100 kg (aerobatic) / 4,250 kg (utility) (6,834 lb (aerobatic) / 9,370 lb (utility))
  • Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68B Turboprop engine, 1,200 kW (1,600 shp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 685 km/h (370 knots, 428 mph)
  • Stall speed: 170 km/h (92 knots, 106.25 mph) gear and flaps up (20 km/h less with flaps and gear down)
  • Range: 1,333 km (720 nm, 828 miles)
  • Service ceiling: 11,580 m (38,000 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 1,219 m/min (4,000 ft/min)
  • Wing loading: 208 kg/m² (42.7 lb/ft²)
  • Power/mass: 0.39 kW/kg (0.23 hp/lb)
Armament
  • Hardpoints: Provisions provided for 4× under-wing and 1× centerline external store stations, capable of mounting up to 1,150 kg (2,540 lb) of payload of air-to-ground weapons to operate in the Counter-insurgency role.

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

Notes
  1. ↑ "PC-21: Aircraft Data". Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
  2. ↑ "Acceptance of the first four Pilatus PC-21 by armasuisse" (Press release). Swiss Federation. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
  3. ↑ Stans (17 December 2010). "Pilatus Wins PC-21 Follow-up Order From the Swiss Air Force". Pilatus Aircraft. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2013. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "RSAF Pilatus PC-21 Makes its Maiden Flight" (Press release). Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). 15 February 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Basic Flying Training on the Pilatus PC-21 Aircraft Trainer Commences" (Press release). MINDEF. 13 July 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
  6. ↑ Craig, Hoyle (17 November 2009). "Dubai 09: UAE signs deal for 25 PC-21 trainers". Flight Global. Retrieved 30 September 2012. 
  7. ↑ "UAE's first PC-21 flown". Air Forces Monthly (Key Publishing Ltd) (274): page 26. February 2011. ISSN 0955-7091. 
  8. ↑ Pittaway 2010, p. 20.
  9. ↑ "Evaluación del PC-21 Pilatus como entrenador Elemental/Básico/Avanzado", Ejército del Aire de España (Revista de Aeronáutica y Astronáutica) (778), noviembre de 2008 
  10. ↑ Airforces Monthly June 2008
  11. ↑ Craig, Hoyle (23 May 2012). "Saudi Arabia signs 102-aircraft military training deal". Flight Global. Retrieved 29 September 2012. 
  12. ↑ Craig, Hoyle (23 July 2012). "Qatar signs deal for 24 Pilatus PC-21s". Flight Global. Retrieved 29 September 2012. 
  13. ↑ "Pilatus: PC-21 fact sheet" (PDF). Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
Bibliography
  • Pittaway, Nigel (March 2010). "ADF pilot training under contract". Defence Today (Amberley: Strike Publications) 8 (2): 20–21. ISSN 1447-0446. 

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