Pilatus PC-6
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The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a civilian utility aircraft built by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.
Design and development
The first prototype made its maiden flight on 4 May 1959 powered by a 254 kW (340-shp) 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 (550-shp).
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.
The PC-6 is noted for its Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) performance on almost any type of terrain - it can take-off within a distance of and land within a distance of while carrying a payload of 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) (The length of a soccer field is enough, Pilatus test pilots were able to land on not much more than of space). Thanks to its STOL performance, the PC-6 holds the world record for highest landing by a fixed wing aircraft, at , on the Dhaulagiri glacier in Nepal.
Civil operators
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- 6th Aviation Regiment (Australia)
- No. 161 Independent Reconnaissance Flight
- No. 163 Independent Reconnaissance Flight
- No. 171 Air Cavalry Flight
- School Army Aviation
- SATENA
- 100 Squadron
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Civil operators
thumb|right|Continental Air Service PC-6 Porter in [[Laos, ca. 1970
Specifications (PC-6 B2 Turbo-Porter)
|span main= 15.9 m |span alt= |height main= 3.20 m |height alt= 10 ft 6 in |area main= 28.8 m² |area alt= 310 ft² |airfoil= |empty weight main= 1270 kg |empty weight alt= 2,800 lb |loaded weight main= 2800 kg |loaded weight alt= 6,173 lb |useful load main= |useful load alt= |max takeoff weight main= 2,770 kg |max takeoff weight alt= 6,108 lb |more general=
|engine (prop)= Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 |type of prop= turboprop |number of props=1 |power main= 410 kW |power alt= 550 shp |power original=
|max speed main= 244 km/h |max speed alt= 153 mph |cruise speed main= 125 knots |cruise speed alt= 232 km/h (TAS) |stall speed main= 58 knots |stall speed alt= 52 knots flaps extended |never exceed speed main= |never exceed speed alt= |range main= 1,612 km |range alt=870 nm |ceiling main= 8,197 m |ceiling alt= 25,000 ft |climb rate main= 331 m/min |climb rate alt= 1,010 ft/min |loading main= |loading alt= |thrust/weight= |power/mass main= |power/mass alt= |more performance= |armament= |avionics= }}
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- Yeti Airlines ;
- Mount Cook Airlines ;
- AvioFun klub Koroška ;
- Air America
Specifications (PC-6 B2 Turbo-Porter)
|span main= 15.9 m |span alt= |height main= 3.20 m |height alt= 10 ft 6 in |area main= 28.8 m² |area alt= 310 ft² |airfoil= |empty weight main= 1270 kg |empty weight alt= 2,800 lb |loaded weight main= 2800 kg |loaded weight alt= 6,173 lb |useful load main= |useful load alt= |max takeoff weight main= 2,770 kg |max takeoff weight alt= 6,108 lb |more general=
|engine (prop)= Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 |type of prop= turboprop |number of props=1 |power main= 410 kW |power alt= 550 shp |power original=
|max speed main= 244 km/h |max speed alt= 153 mph |cruise speed main= 125 knots |cruise speed alt= 232 km/h (TAS) |stall speed main= 58 knots |stall speed alt= 52 knots flaps extended |never exceed speed main= |never exceed speed alt= |range main= 1,612 km |range alt=870 nm |ceiling main= 8,197 m |ceiling alt= 25,000 ft |climb rate main= 331 m/min |climb rate alt= 1,010 ft/min |loading main= |loading alt= |thrust/weight= |power/mass main= |power/mass alt= |more performance= |armament= |avionics= }}
- [http
- //www.pilatus-aircraft.com/ Pilatus PC-6 Official Website]
- »The PILATUS PORTER World by Markus Herzig
- »PC-8 pic scroll down
- //www.pilatus-aircraft.com/ Pilatus PC-6 Official Website]