Pilatus PC-12

PC-12
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia PC-12, launch customer and major user
Role	Passenger and cargo aircraft
National origin	Switzerland
Manufacturer	Pilatus Aircraft
First flight	31 May 1991
Introduction	1994
Status	In production
Primary users	PlaneSense Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia United States Air Force
Produced	1991- present
Number built	1,400 (as of July 2016[update])
Unit cost	$4,888,275 (2016)

The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The main market for the aircraft is corporate transport and regional airliner operators. The United States Air Force's designation is the U-28A. The PC-12 holds the distinction of being the best selling pressurized, single-engine, turbine-powered aircraft in the world.

In October 1989, Pilatus announced the development of the PC-12 at the annual convention of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). Prior to the 1989 announcement, the PC-12 project had been worked on for some time under high levels of secrecy; by the time of the announcement, assembly of the first prototype had already commenced. Pilatus believed that the PC-12 would fit a new market not served by existing aircraft, and that the type would be the first single-engine aircraft capable of a large volume at high speed across long distances. The two prototypes were completed on 1 May 1991, with the first flight taking place on 31 May 1991. Swiss certification of the type had been originally planned for mid-1991; however, a redesign of the wings (increase of wingspan and addition of winglets to ensure performance guarantees were met) delayed progress. On 30 March 1994, the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation issued the type certificate for the PC-12;Federal Aviation Administration approval in the U.S. followed on 15 July 1994.

Since entering service, Pilatus developed a large number of improvements and options upon the original PC-12 model; amongst these changes include increases in the maximum takeoff weight, the use of increasingly powerful engines, the adoption of new avionics, noise-reduction measures, new propellers, speed and range increases, additional interiors, and new inflight entertainment systems. Other aviation firms, such as Finoff Aviation Products, have also produced their own independent products and aftermarket enhancement packages for the PC-12.

Pilatus announced the PC-12NG (Next Generation) at the 2006 NBAA meeting in Orlando, and officially launched it during the NBAA 2007 in Atlanta. The NG features a more powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67P engine with better climb performance and an increase in maximum cruise speed to 280 knots TAS. The NG also features a Honeywell Primus Apex glass cockpit; prior to this, the PC-12 had been one of the only high end models to lack flat-panel avionics. The revised cockpit includes automatic pressurization control as well as cursor controlled inputs to the navigation system. The PC-12 NG winglets have also been modified from the original version. Within two years of launch, over 200 orders reportedly had been placed for the PC-12 NG. In May 2008, the first PC-12 NG was delivered.