A new jet was born this morning when Swiss manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft revealed its new twin-engine jet, the PC-24, at EBACE. The new jet not only has the ability to use short runways but can also land on unpaved surfaces and will have a cargo door fitted as standard.
At the launch in Geneva this morning the Swiss manufacturer described the new aircraft as "the world's first super versatile jet".
The cabin interior will be available in a wide choice of different configurations ranging from an executive layout with 6-8 passenger seats to a commuter setup with room for up to 10 passengers, or even combi-versions with ample space for passengers and cargo, right through to special installations for emergency medical flights.
According to the technical specifications the PC-24 will have a maximum speed of 425 knots (787 km/h) and a maximum range of 1,950nm 3,610 km with four passengers . It will be powered by two Williams FJ44-4A turbines, each producing 15,124 kN of thrust.
"The PC-24 is the first business jet to have the ability to use very short runways, paved or unpaved, and a cargo door as standard” said Pilatus chairman Oscar Schwenk. ."We started asking our PC-12 customers what they would like to see in the next Pilatus aircraft more than ten years ago,” Schwenk said. “The answers were always the same: Further and faster – whilst retaining the much appreciated strengths of the PC-12, such as the ability to use very short runways. It was a huge challenge for our development team! We are all the more proud to be able to unveil an aircraft with exactly those qualities today."
The new jet will be certificated for single pilot operations. Roll out is expected in the third quarter of 2014 with first flight before the end of that year. Certification is targeted for 2017.
The avionics system is also new and is dubbed by Pilatus as the "Advanced Cockpit Environment" (ACE) system, developed especially to reduce cockpit workloads and to enable the single pilot certification.. It offers four 12-inch screens, featuring the SmartView synthetic vision system
The list price is expected to be just short of $9million.
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