The Pilatus PC-6 success is due to providing operators with the flexibility of choice or conversion between roles. These include passenger and/or cargo transport, supply and Para dropping, photographic and aerial survey, forward support, agricultural work, search and rescue, ambulance and a variety of other missions. In addition the Pilatus PC-6 is certified to operate with amphibious or normal floats and also with skis.
The Pilatus PC-6 Porter started with a piston engine. The first PC-6/A Turbo-Porter with French Turbom?ca Astazou II turboprop power, giving vastly improved performance.
The real breakthrough for the aircraft came in 1964, when the PT6A-6A engine was fitted. The current B2-H4-model was introduced in mid 1985, featuring an enlarged dorsal fin, up-rated shock absorbers, new tail-wheel and airframe reinforcement.
Fairchild-Hiller
Thirty-six armed PC-6/C’s were produced for COIN duties in Vietnam as Fairchild-Hiller AU-23A Peacemaker, they flew their missions in the Royal Thai Air Force.
CIA
At least 37 PC-6 Turbo Porters were flying for the CIA by Air America, Continental Air Services, Bird & Sons, ICCS Air Services and Air Asia, Tainan. From the beginning Air America used its Turbo Porters in three theaters of South East Asia: Several were assigned to an Air Force contract for use out of Saigon as liaison aircraft. Several were used to support the CIA’s Hmong program? in Laos, and two went to contracts in Thailand, especially to support the Royal Thai Border Police.
| Developing nation: | Switzerland |
| Manufacturer/designer: | Pilatus Aircraft AG. |
| Production line: | Production at Stans continues at low rates. |
| Task: | STOL (short take off and landing) utility transport. |
| First flight: | – PC-6 Porter May 4, 1959, HB-FAN. – PC-6/A Turbo Porter May 2, 1961, HB-FAD. – PC-6/B Turbo Porter May 2, 1964, N187H. – Fairchild-Hiller PC-6/C Turbo Porter October 1965, N180K. – PC-6/D-H3 Swept tail April 3, 1970, HB-FFW. – PC-8D Twin Porter November 28, 1967, HB-KOA. |
| Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter | |
| Crew: | 2. |
| Passengers: | 7 – 11. |
| Cabin length: | 2,3 m without cockpit. |
| Cabin width: | 1,16 m. |
| Cabin height: | 1,18 m. |
| Cabin floor area: | 2,67 m². |
| Cabin volume: | 3,30 m³. |
| Wing Span: | 18,57 m. |
| Wing Area: | 30,15 m². |
| Fuselage length: | 11,00 m. |
| Fuselage height: | 3,20 m tail down. |
| Elevator span: | 5,12 m. |
| Wheelbase: | 7,87 m. |
| Wheel track: | 3,00 m. |
| Engines: | one Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 turboprop rated 410 kW. |
| Propeller: | Hartzell HC-B3TN-3D constant speed, diameter 2,56 m. |
| Weight: | – empty: 1.270 Kg. – max. zero-fuel weight 2.400 kg. – internal fuel: 508 Kg. – external fuel: 392 Kg. – max. payload: 1.130 Kg. |
| Max. take off weight: | – 2.800 Kg on wheels. – 2.699 Kg on skis. |
| Max. landing weight: | 2.660 Kg. |
| Cruise speed: | 213 km/h at 3.050 m. |
| Max. speed: | 280 km/h at m. |
| Max. ceiling: | 7.620 m. |
| Range: | – range 926 km without external tanks. – ferry range 1.612 km external tanks. |
| Performance: | – max. rate of climb at sea level 287 m per minute. – take-off run 197 m at max. take-off weight. – landing run 127 m at max. landing weight. |
| g limits: | -1.5 / +3.72 |
| Underwing hardpoints: | two for underwing tanks. |
| Extra: | skis or amphibious floats. |
Pilatus PC-6 production:
528 built in all versions, approximately 258 active, stored or under rebuilt 20, written-off 152 and scrapped 100.
Production by Pilatus Aircraft Ltd Switzerland: 436
Production by Fairchild-Hiller Corp. under license: 92
Pilatus PC-6 built of each variant: |
| 64 – PC-6, Lycoming GSO-480-B1A6. |
| 1 – PC-6/275, Lycoming GO-480-D1A. |
| 8 – PC-6/350, Lycoming IGO-540-A1A. |
| 35 – PC-6/A, Turbomeca Astazou IIE / G. |
| 6 – PC-6/A1, Turbomeca Astazou XII. |
| 1 – PC-6/Ax, Turbomeca Astazou X. |
| 1 – PC-6/A2, Turbomeca Astazou XIVE. |
| 12 – PC-6/B, Pratt & Whitney PT6A-6A. |
| 94 – PC-6/B1, Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20. |
| 236 – PC-6/B2, Pratt & Whitney PT6A-27. |
| 34 – PC-6/C, Garrett TPE-331-25D. |
| 1 – PC-6/C1, Garrett TPE-331-1-100. |
| 36 – PC-6/C2*, Garrett TPE-331-1-101F. |
| 1 – PC-6/D-H3, Lycoming TIO-720-C1A2. |
| 1 – PC-8D, Lycoming IO-540-G1B5. |
* AU-23A.
Pilatus PC-6 military operators: |
|
| Algerian. | – 2 PC-6/B2-H4. – 1 PC-6. |
| Angola. | – 6 PC-6. |
| Argentina. | – 4 PC-6/B1A-H2. – 6 PC-6/B2-H2. |
| Australia. | – 19 PC-6/B1-H2. |
| Austria. | – 13 PC-6/B2-H2. – 1 PC-6/B2-H4. |
| Bolivia. | – 1 PC-6A. – 2 PC-6C-1. – 16 PC-6/B2-H2. |
| Brazil. | – 5 PC-6. |
| Chad. | – 2 PC-6. |
| Chile. | – 1 PC-6. |
| Colombia. | – 1 PC-6A. – 6 PC-6/B2-H2. |
| Dubai. | – 2 PC-6/B2-H4. |
| Ecuador. | – 2 PC-6/B2-H2. – 3 PC-6/B2-H4. |
| France. | – 5 PC-6/B2-H2. |
| Guatemala. | – 6 PC-6. |
| Hungary. | – 4 PC-6/B1/H2. |
| Indonesia. | – 11 PC-6B. |
| Iran. | – 15 PC-6/B2-H2. |
| Israel. | – 1 PC-6. – 1 PC-6/B1-H2. – 1 PC-6A. |
| Malaysia. | – 7 PC-6/B2-H4. |
| Mexico. | – 6 PC-6/B2-H4. |
| Myanmar. | – 7 PC-6/B2-H2. |
| Nepal. | – 1 PC-6/B1-H2. |
| Oman. | – 2 PC-6/B1-H2. |
| Peru. | – 17 PC-6A. – 23 PC-6/B2-H2. |
| Slovenia. | – 2 PC-6/B2-H4. |
| South-Africa. | – 9 PC-6/B2-H4. |
| Sudan. | – 7 PC-6/B1-H2. |
| Sweden. | – 1 PC-6. |
| Switzerland. | – 12 PC-6/B2-H2M-1. |
| Thailand. | – 2 PC-6/B1-H1. – 5 PC-6/B2-H2. – 18 AU-23A. – 3 PC-6C-H2. |
| United States of America. | |
| US Army. | – 2 UV-20A. – 1 PC-6/B2-H4. (UV-20A). |
| CIA – Central Intelligence Agency. | – 7 PC-6A/H2. – 1 PC-6C/H1. – 29 PC-6C/H2. |
Military Pilatus PC-6 written-off by accidents:
- ?? 2 x PC-6B Royal Thai Air Force.
- ? 340 PC-6/B2-H2 Peruvian Air Force.
- ? 341 PC-6/B2-H2 Peruvian Air Force.
- ? A14-692 PC-6/B1-H2 Royal Australian Air Force.
- ? FAC1113 PC-6/B2-H2 Colombian Air Arms operated by SATENA.
- 03Dec69 A14-686 PC-6/B1-H2 Royal Australian Air Force.
- 13sep74 316 PC-6/B2-H2 Peruvian Air Force.
- 17mar75 314 PC-6/B2-H2 Peruvian Air Force.
- 1977 T-185 PC-6/B2-H2 Ecuador Air Force.
- 16mar77 339 PC-6/B2-H2 Peruvian Air Force.
- 23Mar77 A14-692 PC-6/B1-H2 Royal Australian Air Force.
- 20feb78 0674 PC-6/B1A-H2 Fuerza Aérea Argentina.
- 28Nov80 A14-681 PC-6/B1-H2 Royal Australian Air Force.
- 21Sep81 A14-680 PC-6/B1-H2 Royal Australian Air Force.
- 01aug82 GN-806 PC-6/B2-H2 Fuerza Aérea Argentina.
- 1984 1607 PC-6B Royal Thai Air Force.
- 27jun84 3G-EI PC-6/B2-H2 Austrian Air Force.
- 05sep86 0684 PC-6/B1A-H2 Fuerza Aérea Argentina.
- 25 jun88 FAC1114 PC-6/B2-H2 Colombian Air Arms operated by SATENA.
- 17may89 9M-PSJ PC-6/B2-H2 Malaysian Air Force.
- 19apr89 FAC1110 PC-6/B2-H2 Colombian Air Arms operated by SATENA.
- 21nov90 338 PC-6/B2-H2 Peruvian Air Force.
- 09nov91 0685 PC-6/B1A-H2 Fuerza Aérea Argentina.
- 12Nov91 A14-683 PC-6/B1-H2 Royal Australian Air Force.
- feb92 1317 PC-6/B2-H2 KASET Ministry of Agriculture.
- 07apr93 V-621 PC-6/B2-H2M-1 Swiss Air Force.
- 24jun93 FAC1112 PC-6/B2-H2 Colombian Air Arms operated by SATENA.
- 29aug97 FAC1115 PC-6/B2-H2 Colombian Air Arms operated by SATENA.
- 24aug98 332 PC-6/B2-H2 Peruvian Air Force.
- ??jan00 1603 PC-6B Royal Thai Air Force.
- 29jan02 V-615 PC-6/B2-H2M-1 Swiss Air Force.
- 15mar02 79-23253 UV-20A Golden Knights/US Army.
06sep03 GN-809 PC-6/B2-H2 Fuerza Aérea Argentina.
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