PC-9 | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Pilatus PC-9M of the Slovenian Armed Forces | |
Role | Basic/advanced trainer aircraft |
National origin | Switzerland |
Manufacturer | Pilatus Aircraft |
First flight | 7 May 1984 |
Status | Active service |
Primary users | Swiss Air Force Slovenian Air Force and Air Defence Royal Saudi Air Force Royal Thai Air Force |
Produced | 1984–present |
Number built | 265 |
Developed from | Pilatus PC-7 |
Developed into | T-6 Texan II |
The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. Designed as a more powerful evolution of the Pilatus PC-7, the PC-9's first flight was made in May 1984 after which certification was achieved in September 1985. After this, the first production orders for the type were received from the Royal Saudi Air Force, with deliveries commencing in 1985. Since then, more than 250 airframes have been produced across five different variants, and the type is employed by a number of military and civilian operators around the world, including the Swiss Air Force, Croatian Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force and the Irish Air Corps
The PC-9 is a more powerful evolution of the PC-7. It retains the overall layout of its predecessor, but it has very little structural commonality with it. Amongst other improvements, the PC-9 features a larger cockpit with stepped ejection seats and also has a ventral airbrake.
The PC-9 program officially started in 1982. Although some aerodynamic elements were tested on a PC-7 during 1982 and 1983, the first flight of the first PC-9 prototype took place on 7 May 1984. A second prototype flew on 20 July of the same year; this prototype had all the standard electronic flight instrumentation and environmental control systems installed and was thus almost fully representative of the production version.
Certification was achieved in September 1985. By this time, the PC-9 had lost the Royal Air Force trainer competition to the Short Tucano. However, the marketing links that Pilatus built up with British Aerospace during the competition led to their first order from Saudi Arabia.
As of 2004 [update] , more than 250 aircraft of this type have been built.
The first production aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) flew on 19 May 1987, under the Australian designation PC-9/A.
Condor of Germany uses 10 examples of the target-towing variant.
On 22 March 1991, during Operation Provide Comfort, Capt. Thomas Dietz and Lt. Bob Hehemann were patrolling over Iraqi airspace in F-15C Eagles when they detected two contacts on radar, prompting Dietz and Hehemann to approach to visually identify them. Hehemann pursued a PC-9, while Dietz positioned himself behind and shot down a Sukhoi Su-22. The pilot of the PC-9 saw the explosion and spontaneously ejected, nearly being struck by Hehemann. Hehemann confirmed the chute deployment and pilots’ survival before flying in formation with the empty aircraft until it descended and crashed into the ground a minute and fifty seconds later. Hehemann was awarded with a maneuver kill. [1]
In August 2015, Pilatus received a contract to deliver nine PC-9Ms to the Royal Jordanian Air Force, but in April 2016 changed the order to eight PC-21s. Deliveries were due to start in January 2017 under the original deal. [2]
The United States Army operated three PC-9s from 1991 to 1996 as chase and test aircraft. They eventually were sold to Slovenia in 1995. [3]
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004 [11]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engine turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company. A trainer aircraft based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 replaced the United States Air Force's Cessna T-37B Tweet and the United States Navy's T-34C Turbo Mentor during the 2010s.
The CASA C-101 Aviojet is a low-wing single engine jet-powered advanced trainer and light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Spanish aircraft company Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA).
The Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer is a low-wing tandem-seat training aircraft, designed and manufactured in Switzerland by Pilatus Aircraft. The aircraft is capable of all basic training functions, including aerobatics, instrument, tactical, and night flying.
The Short Tucano is a two-seat turboprop basic trainer built by Short Brothers in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a licence-built version of the Brazilian Embraer EMB 312 Tucano.
The Pilatus PC-12 is a pressurized, single-engined, turboprop aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Stans, Switzerland since 1991. It was designed as a high-performance utility aircraft that incorporates a large aft cargo door in addition to the main passenger door. Due to its efficient, high-utility design, the PC-12 is used by a large variety of operators. The main use for the aircraft is corporate transportation, but it is also used by fractional and small regional airlines, air-ambulance operators, and many government agencies, such as police departments and armed forces. The PC-12 is successful with 2,000 deliveries made as of May 2023.
The Pilatus P-3 was a military training aircraft built by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.
The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a single-engined STOL utility aircraft designed by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. First flown in 1959, the PC-6 was produced at Pilatus Flugzeugwerke in Stans, Switzerland. It has been built in both piston engine- and turboprop-powered versions, and was produced under licence for a time by Fairchild Hiller in the United States. After 604 deliveries in 63 years, Pilatus ended production in 2022.
The Pilatus PC-21 is a turboprop-powered advanced trainer with a stepped tandem cockpit. It is manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.
The Pacific Aerospace Corporation CT/4 Airtrainer series is an all-metal-construction, single-engine, two-place with side-by-side seating, fully aerobatic, piston-engined, basic training aircraft manufactured in Hamilton, New Zealand.
The PZL 130 Orlik is a Polish turboprop, single engine, two seat trainer aircraft.
The CAC CA-25 Winjeel is an Australian-designed and manufactured three-seat training aircraft. Entering service with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1955 as a basic to advanced trainer, it served in this role until 1975. Later, it was used in the Forward Air Control (FAC) role for target marking until 1994, after which it was retired from RAAF service.
The US Aircraft A-67 Dragon is a single-engine, propeller-driven, ground-attack aircraft. It is designed for counter-insurgency (COIN), close air support (CAS), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The A-67 is a low-cost aircraft built for low-intensity conflict situations, with a reported unit price of $4–5 million. The sole aircraft built is in storage at the MAPS Air Museum.
The NDN Firecracker is a single-engine aircraft designed as a military trainer.
The Avro Cadet is a single-engined British biplane trainer designed and built by Avro in the 1930s as a smaller development of the Avro Tutor for civil use.
The CA-11 Woomera was a production development of the earlier CA-4 Wackett Bomber prototype, and was an Australian torpedo and dive bomber aircraft that was designed and constructed by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) during World War II. The order for the Woomera was cancelled before it became operational with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
The AAC Wamira was a turboprop military trainer aircraft, designed for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) by the Australian Aircraft Consortium (AAC). The project was cancelled shortly before the first prototype was completed.
The Fuji T-7 is a Japanese primary trainer aircraft built by Fuji Heavy Industries for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. A development of Fuji's earlier T-3 trainer, it is a single-engined monoplane powered by a turboprop engine.
The Cessna 526 CitationJet was a twinjet trainer candidate for the United States Joint Primary Aircraft Training System proposed by Cessna. It was a twin-engined, tandem seat aircraft, based on the Cessna CitationJet executive aircraft. However, it was unsuccessful, with only two prototypes built.
The Pilatus PC-8D Twin Porter was a Swiss ten-seat light transport built by Pilatus Aircraft. The type did not go into production and only one was built.
The Pilatus PC-24 is a light business jet produced by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. Following the success of the PC-12 single engine turboprop, work on the twin engine jet began in 2007 for greater range and speed, keeping the rugged airfield capability. The aircraft was introduced on 21 May 2013 and rolled out on 1 August 2014, with the maiden flight on 11 May 2015. The PC-24 received EASA and FAA type certification on 7 December 2017 and the first customer delivery was on 7 February 2018. Powered by two Williams FJ44 turbofans, it competes with the Embraer Phenom 300 and the Cessna Citation CJ4.