NEWTOWN, Conn. - Pilatus Aircraft unveiled its new PC-24 light business jet at the European Business Aviation Conference and Exposition in Geneva on May 21. The new model is a clean-sheet design that Pilatus says will be able to use very short runways, including unpaved strips, and include a cargo door as standard equipment.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pilatus Oscar J. Schwenk said its customer base has told the company what it would like to see in the next Pilatus business aircraft. "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."
The PC-24's interior will be available in a wide selection of configurations, ranging from an executive layout with six to eight passenger seats to a commuter setup with room for up to 10 passengers to combi-versions with space for passengers and cargo to special installations for emergency medical flights.
The aircraft's targeted specifications include a maximum speed of about 425 knots (787 kmph) and a maximum range with four passengers of 3,610 kilometers (1,949 nm).
The aircraft will be powered by two Williams FJ44-4A turbines, rated at 3,400 lbst (15.12 kN) each.
The development schedule calls for rollout of the first test aircraft in the third quarter of 2013, followed by a maiden flight near the end of 2014. Certification by EASA and the FAA is scheduled for early 2017, with initial deliveries following immediately after certification. The targeted list price of the aircraft is about $8.9 million.
