The Future of Versatility

In the crowded world of business aviation, offering a distinct value proposition is the key to a successful aircraft program. 

Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2014 with the roll-out of its first production twin-engine aircraft—and first turbofan— on Aug. 1. 

The new Pilatus PC-24 super versatile jet has already attracted strong international interest since it was first revealed in 2013. In mid-May, Pilatus opened its PC-24 order book at the annual European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE), taking an impressive 84 orders during the first one-and-a-half days of the show. The huge customer endorsement equals three years of production once the PC-24 enters service in 2017. 

The PC-24 has attracted the attention of existing Pilatus PC-12 turboprop customers who are seeking an aircraft that is bigger, faster and has more range, as well as existing business jet owners willing to change brands to gain more capability. 

Founded in 1939, Pilatus is based at Buochs Airport near Stans, Switzerland, and takes its name from Mount Pilatus, a 2,128-metre (6,982-foot) peak located to the west. 

The manufacturer won its first international customers in the 1960s, with export sales of the short takeoff and landing (STOL) PC-6 Porter and Turbo Porter, which was one of the first single-engine applications for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop. 

Pilatus subsequently selected the P&WC PT6A to power its PC-6 and PC-9 military trainers, and to launch the innovative PC-12 business/utility turboprop, which has won almost 1,300 orders since it first entered service 20 years ago in 1994. 

When the world financial crisis struck in 2008, Pilatus managed to weather the storm exceptionally well, explained Daniel Kunz, PC-24 program manager, from his office in Stans.

“In fact, Pilatus was one of the very few aviation companies that continuously increased the number of employees, while some competitors were forced to make major reductions in staff,” he said. 

Pilatus benefitted from a healthy backlog of PC-12 NG turboprop orders, which saw deliveries peak at 100 aircraft in 2010. Military trainer deliveries have helped to offset a subsequent drop in PC-12 demand. 

The year 2012 was significant. Pilatus received the largest orders in its history, worth a record 2.7 billion Swiss francs (CHF) in sales, including three major orders from India (75 PC-7 Mk II), Saudi Arabia (55 PC-21) and Qatar (24 PC-21). 

“It is part of the Pilatus strategy to always have at least one new aircraft development underway,” explained Kunz. “After certification of the PC-21 (military trainer) was achieved, it was clear that our next aircraft would be dedicated to the civilian market. We started studies as early as 2005 and the PC-24 project was already quite advanced when Pilatus made it public in May 2013.” 

“All Pilatus aircraft share a common DNA which we call the Pilatus class: They are No. 1 in their niche, they are engineered and built with Swiss precision and quality, and the customer is always at the centre of all work done at Pilatus,” continued Kunz. 

“We also continuously work on enhancements for our existing product line, and have incorporated the lessons learned into the PC-24 design.” 

On the financial side, Pilatus sales revenues jumped 71 per cent in 2013 and surpassed the one billion Swiss franc mark for the first time, with a 14.3 per cent EBIT margin increasing the company’s capacity to fund the new aircraft development program. 

“The customer response Pilatus has experienced since last year’s launch of the PC-24 was simply overwhelming and any concern about Pilatus being a newcomer in the jet market has not been raised by any of the many people Pilatus has been in touch with,” said Kunz. 

“It’s rather the competitors who—rightfully so—stress the fact that the PC-24 is the first jet Pilatus has built. However, everybody at Pilatus is very aware that a successful entry-into-service (EIS) of the first aircraft to be delivered is a must, and work is already ongoing to ensure this smooth EIS.” 

Previous industry surveys have ranked Pilatus No. 1 in turboprop customer support, and “we’re focusing all our efforts to reach the same goal in the jet category,” added Kunz. 

The strongest sales for the PC-12 have been in the United States and Canada, and the PC-24 is generating strong interest in both countries, reported Stan Kuliavas, vice president, sales and business development for Pilatus Centre Canada. 

“Like the PC-12, we expect the PC-24 to be extremely popular in Canada,” explained Kuliavas. “The aircraft fits well with the geography and mindset of Canadian aircraft buyers. It is an aircraft that can take off from Toronto or Vancouver, and land on a small remote northern airstrip.”

He continued: “The development of the PC-24 was about as secret as you can get, but once it was announced it has attracted a lot of interest. The price point, at $8.9 million (in 2017 dollars) is roughly $1 million less than its closest competitor.” 

Canadian customers account for about 10 per cent of worldwide PC-12 sales, with the aircraft in service with com-panies, owner pilots, charter airlines, air ambulance services and law enforcement agencies, including the RCMP. 

Kuliavas anticipates a similar mix of Canadian customers for the PC-24. 

The business jet market can be broken down into four categories (very light, light, medium and large), which are defined through a combination of price, range and cabin volume. 

The PC-24 is nominally in the light business jet category, but Pilatus has shuffled the deck when it comes to the aircraft’s selling features. 

The manufacturer is “combining the versatility of a turboprop with the cabin size of a medium light jet, and the performance of a light jet,” said Pilatus chairman Oscar J. Schwenk at EBACE 2013, when the PC-24 development program was first announced. 

The initial price for a PC-24 in six-seat executive configuration is US$8.9 million for delivery in 2017, which Pilatus is convinced is a very attractive price for a business jet with unique capabilities, said Kunz. 

With an overall length of 55 feet 2 inches (16.82 metres), wing span of 55 feet 9 inches (17 metres), height of 17 feet 4 inches (5.3 metres) and a maximum takeoff weight of 17,650 pounds (8,005 kilograms), the PC-24 will have a substantial “ramp presence” that will rival competing business jets. 

Building on the success of the PC-12 turboprop, the PC-24 will have a large flat floor cabin (501 cubic feet/14.2 cubic metres), a large cargo door (51 inches x 49 inches/1.30 metres x 1.25 metres) and a high performance wing with dual main landing gear, to allow the aircraft to land and take off from short unpaved and grass airstrips. In fact, the new jet’s passenger cabin has been designed to offer more volume, width and length than most contemporary turboprop and jet competitors, according to the PC-24 website.

Up front, the PC-24’s Advanced Cockpit Environment (ACE), developed in partnership with Honeywell, is designed for single pilot operations. It features a four-screen layout with 12-inch screens, an inertial reference system (IRS), an attitude and heading reference system (AHRS), a SmartView synthetic vision system, TCAS II (traffic collision avoidance system), graphical flight planning, autothrottle and LPV (localizer performance with vertical guidance) as part of the standard equipment package. Optional avionics include an enhanced vision system and required navigation performance (RNP) < 0.3 capability. 

With an eye to transitioning its PC-12 customers to the PC-24, the twinjet is designed for a balanced takeoff on 2,690-foot (820-metre) fields, at a maximum takeoff weight of 17,650 pounds (8,005 kilograms). 

Pilatus said the aircraft’s short field performance and ability to land on unpaved surfaces (i.e. grass, gravel, sand, or snow) means the PC-24 will be able to serve 100 per cent more airports in the world than competing jets. 

In North America, this translates into 9,383 airports, which is 93 per cent more than the 4,397 airports accessible to its closest competitor. 

With four passengers, the Williams FJ44-4A-powered PC-24 will have a range of 3,610 kilometres (1,950 nautical miles) and a cruise speed of at least 425 knots (786 kilometres per hour). 

The PC-24 will be the first FJ44 application to take advantage of Williams’ Quiet Power Mode, a new proprietary feature allowing the FJ44 to provide quiet, efficient ground power, eliminating the need for a traditional auxiliary power unit.

Editor’s note: The first PC-24 prototype was unveiled in an elaborate ceremony on Aug. 1, 2014, with the first flight expected to take place shortly thereafter. Read about the rollout here.