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Aviation / Aerospace

Pilatus PC-6 Porter / Turbo-Porter


Single-Engine STOL Utility Aircraft [ 1959 ]



Nearly 600 examples of the capable PC-6 have been built between Pilatus of Switzerland and Fairchild of the United States.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/26/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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The Pilatus PC-6 "Porter" is a single-engine, utility-minded small-market aircraft designed, developed, and produced by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. Around 600 of this versatile platform have been produced to date and the type has become a proven Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft thanks to its high-wing mounting, light-weight arrangement, and rugged construction. The type was sold for a time by the Fairchild Aircraft brand as well and remains in global circulation today - despite a first-flight in May of 1959. Production has run from 1959 until 2019 and operators include both military and civilian organizations as well as law enforcement.

The aircraft has a unique body shape with its tapered nose and tail sections. The cockpit/cabin takes up most of the volume at center with the engine installed at the nose. The wing mainplanes are monoplanes installed high atop the fuselage roof and braced along the lower sides of the fuselage walls. The tail unit incorporates a single vertical fin with low-mounted horizontal planes. The undercarriage, while wheeled, is fixed during flight (non-retractable). Bracing is also used here for ruggedness when landing on unprepared surfaces.

The cockpit sports the typical steam-gauge arrangement with central throttle console. The cabin, when equipped for passengers, features a single-aisle arrangement with forward-facing, single-seating to either fuselage wall.

The popularity of the PC-6 is such that there have been a plethora of variants generated throughout the flying life of this aircraft. Original models were piston-powered types, driven by the Lycoming GSO-480-B1A6 flat-six, and encompassed the PC-6/340 Porter and PC-6/350 marks. Then followed the turboprop models beginning with the PC-6/A Turbo-Porter. Fairchild marks included the PC-6/C2-H2 Porter with its Garrett TPE 331-101F turboprop engine.

A pair of Turbo-Porters served the United States Army from 1979 until 1991 as the UV-20A "Chiricahua", these operated in West Berlin during the Cold War period.

The PC-6 B2 "Turbo-Porter" form is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) PT6A-27 turboprop engine of 550 horsepower driving a three-bladed constant-speed propeller at the nose. Maximum speed is 145 miles-per-hour with a cruising speed near 135 mph. Range is out to 1,000 miles (ferry) while its service ceiling is restricted to under 27,000 feet.

Notable former military operators include Australia, Israel, Iraq, and the United States while notable current military operators remain Algeria, Argentina, France, and Switzerland. Law enforcement organizations in Malaysia, Oman, South Africa, and Thailand operate the type.

Armed versions installed various ballistic weapons in the fuselage at side-firing mounts. This includes three-barreled Gatling-type systems.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

August 2017 - It was announced on August 18th, 2017 that Pilatus Aircraft would be concluding production of its PC-6 line, intending to support in-service models for some twenty more years.

Specifications



Pilatus Aircraft - Switzerland / Fairchild Aircraft - USA
Manufacturer(s)
Australia; Algeria; Angola; Argentina; Austria; Bolivia; Canada; Chad; Colombia; France; Ecuador; Hungary; Indonesia; Iran; Israel; Malaysia; Mexico; Mongolia; Myanmar; Nepal; New Zealand; Oman; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Slovenia; South Africa; Sudan; Switzerland; Thailand; Untied Arab Emirates; United States
Operators National flag of Algeria National flag of Angola National flag of Argentina National flag of Australia National flag of Austria National flag of Bolivia National flag of Canada National flag of Chad National flag of Colombia National flag of Ecuador National flag of France National flag of Hungary National flag of Indonesia National flag of Iran National flag of Israel National flag of Malaysia National flag of Mexico National flag of Myanmar National flag of New Zealand National flag of Oman National flag of Peru National flag of Slovenia National flag of South Africa National flag of Sudan National flag of Switzerland National flag of Thailand National flag of the United States
1959
Service Year
Switzerland
National Origin
Active
Project Status
1
Crew
595
Units


TRANSPORT
General transport functionality to move supplies/cargo or personnel (including wounded and VIP) over range.


RUGGED AIRFRAME
Inherent ability of airframe to take considerable damage.
EXTENDED RANGE PERFORMANCE
Capability to travel considerable distances through onboard fuel stores.
MARITIME OPERATION
Ability to operate over ocean in addition to surviving the special rigors of the maritime environment.
CREW-MANAGED
Beyond a pilot, the aircraft takes advantage of additional crew specialized in specific functions aboard the aircraft.
ENCLOSED CREWSPACE(S)
Features partially- or wholly-enclosed crew workspaces.
ENHANCED ACCESS
Design incorporates feature(s) that facilitates loading / unloading of cargo / personnel from the aircraft.


36.1 ft
(11.00 meters)
Length
52.0 ft
(15.85 meters)
Width/Span
10.5 ft
(3.20 meters)
Height
2,866 lb
(1,300 kilograms)
Empty Weight
6,173 lb
(2,800 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight
+3,307 lb
(+1,500 kg)
Weight Difference
monoplane / high-mounted / straight
Mainplane Arrangement
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represents the most popular modern mainplane arrangement.
High-Mounted
Mainplanes are mounted at the upper-most position allowable along the dorsal line of the fuselage.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.


1 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 turboprop engine developing 550 horsepower and driving a three- or four-bladed propeller at the nose.
Propulsion
174 mph
(280 kph | 151 knots)
Max Speed
26,903 ft
(8,200 m | 5 miles)
Ceiling
454 miles
(730 km | 394 nm)
Range
945 ft/min
(288 m/min)
Rate-of-Climb


MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


None.


PC-6 "Porter" - Base Series Designation.


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Images



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Image of the Pilatus PC-6 Porter / Turbo-Porter
Image from official Pilatus Aircraft press release.

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