Pilatus has incorporated a handful of enhancements into its PC-12 NG, in an effort to stimulate sales and retain customer interest in its single-engined turboprop.
Upgrades to the nine-seat aircraft include a choice of six executive interiors, all designed by BMW DesignworksUSA; an electric landing gear system, which replaces the heavier hydraulic system; external LED lighting; a wi-fi passenger entertainment system and a new wireless Connected Flight Deck system. The latter, jointly developed by Pilatus, Honeywell, Jeppesen and Aspen Avionics, consists of four iPad applications that interface with a wireless gateway system on board the PC-12 NG. "The apps enable fast and simple wireless updates of airport, navigation and terrain databases, off-aircraft flight planning and uploading directly to the flight management system, maintenance and diagnostic recording with email to a service facility, and a moving map feature for passengers," says Stans, Switzerland-based Pilatus .
The PC-12 entered service nearly 20 years ago and nearly 1,300 of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67P-powered aircraft have been delivered to date. Global demand for the PC-12 NG, introduced in 2007, "remains very strong", according to the airframer, particularly for the $4.6 million executive-configured version, which accounts for around 75% of sale. According to Flightglobal’s Ascend Online Fleets database, Pilatus delivered 67 PC-12 NGs last year.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
