The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a single-engined

STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including tho ...

utility aircraft A utility aircraft is a general-purpose light airplane or helicopter, usually used for transporting people, freight, or other supplies, but also used for other duties when more specialized aircraft are not required or available. The term can al ...

Pilatus Aircraft Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. is an aerospace manufacturer located in Stans, Switzerland. In June 2016, the company employed 1,905 people. The company has mostly produced aircraft for niche markets, in particular STOL, short takeoff and landing (STOL) ...

of Switzerland. First flown in 1959, the PC-6 was produced at Pilatus Flugzeugwerke in

Stans Stans () is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Nidwalden (Nidwald) in Switzerland. The official language of Stans is German language, German (spoken there in the variety of Swiss Standard German), but the main language is the ...

, Switzerland. It has been built in both

piston engine A reciprocating engine, more often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more Reciprocating motion, reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a Circular motion, rotating motion. This article ...

- and

turboprop A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...

-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.

Development

On 4 May 1959, the first prototype, powered by a 254 kW (340 shp)

, made its maiden flight. In early May 1961, the first ''Turbo Porter'', powered by a Turbomeca Astazou II turboprop engine, performed its initial flight.Fricker 1962, p. 38. In comparison to its earlier piston engine-powered incarnation, the Astazou II-equipped ''Turbo Porter'' had an increased gross capacity and top speed, as well as benefitting from the engine's automatic handling functions. These benefits came at the expense of the greater initial purchase cost and higher

fuel consumption A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...

. Both the piston and turbine-engine versions of the PC-6 became quickly known for their Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) capabilities, requiring only a very short takeoff run before being ready for

rotation Rotation or rotational/rotary motion is the circular movement of an object around a central line, known as an ''axis of rotation''. A plane figure can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise sense around a perpendicular axis intersect ...

prior to taking off.Fricker 1962, p. 102. Its unit cost in 1962 was $55,000Fricker 1962, p. 103. The initial turbine-powered models of the PC-6 were equipped with the Astazou II powerplant, however complaints on the reliability of this engine led to another early turboprop powerplant becoming available for the PC-6. This was the Garrett AiResearch TPE 331. Some operators such as Air America chose to retrofit their Astazou II-powered PC-6s with the TPE 331 engine.Leeker, Joe F
"Air America: Pilatus / Fairchild PC-6 Turbo Porters."
''University of Texas at Dallas'', 24 August 2015. In May 1966, the first PC-6 to be equipped with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine performed its maiden flight.Moll 1993, p. 65. To offset rising labour and manufacturing costs in Switzerland, Pilatus distributed manufacturing work on the PC-6 to other countries; in 1993,

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

–based

Letov Kbely Letov is an aircraft company located in Letňany district of Prague, Czech Republic. It is the oldest aircraft company in the region. History Letov was founded in 1918 by the Czechoslovak Ministry of Defense to repair World War I trophy planes ...

began manufacturing activity upon the type. Its unit cost in 2010 was $1,900,000. In 2013, Pilatus formed a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...

with Beijing Tian Xing Jian Yu Science Co., Ltd. to locally manufacture the PC-6 and the newer

Pilatus PC-12 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 addi ...

Chongqing ChongqingPostal Romanization, Previously romanized as Chungking ();. is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the State Council of the People's Republi ...

, China; initially this facility performed subassembly work on the fuselage, and later other elements such as the wings and moving surfaces, which were transported to Pilatus' final assembly facility in

, Switzerland. Global production of the PC-6 will eventually be transferred to the Chongqing facility. On 11 December 2014, the first Chinese-assembled PC-6 fuselage was completed. In 2014, the majority of PC-6s delivered that year were to Chinese customers. By April 2016, around 20 PC-6s were in operation in the Chinese market; the type has often been used to replace the

Antonov An-2 The Antonov An-2 (USAF/DoD reporting name Type 22, NATO reporting name Colt) is a Soviet Union, Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bureau beginning in 1947. I ...

, being reportedly cheaper to operate. The Porter was also manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller in the United States. Roughly 100 of these licence-produced aircraft would be completed, being mainly purchased by civil operators within the US. A number of Fairchild Hiller-built PC-6s were also procured for military operations during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. It received the designation ''AU-23A Peacemaker'' for service with the U.S. Air Force. The Peacemaker was fitted with a side-firing 20mm XM-197 Gatling cannon, four wing pylons and a centre fuselage station for external ordnance. However, the AU-23A proved to be troublesome in service. All of them were returned to the continental U.S. and placed into storage after only a single year of operation. In 1979, a pair of UV-20s were assigned to the aviation detachment of the

Berlin Brigade The Berlin Brigade was a US Army brigade-sized garrison based in West Berlin during the Cold War. After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, the Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupation las ...

in Germany due to their suitability for operating within the heavily restricted airspace; they were fitted for carrying either cargo, up to eleven passengers, or three

litter Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. The waste is objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, food wrappers, cardboard boxes or plastic bottles, but ...

s with four medical attendants. After nearly 600 deliveries in six decades including about 90 Fairchild-Hiller built and 425 PT6-powered, but only 52 in the last ten years, Pilatus will close the orderbook from summer 2018 and will roll off the last one in early 2019 while parts production will continue for at least 20 years. Due to pandemic delays, the last PC-6 Porter was instead delivered in December 2022 after 604 produced in 63 years.

Design

The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a

Short Takeoff and Landing A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including tho ...

(STOL)

. The majority of aircraft are powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine, which drives a fully reversible, constant-speed, three-bladed HC-B3TN-3D (or an alternative four-bladed HC-D4N-3P) Hartzell aluminium propeller via a reduction

gearbox A transmission (also called a gearbox) is a mechanical device invented by Louis Renault (who founded Renault) which uses a gear set—two or more gears working together—to change the speed, direction of rotation, or torque multiplication/r ...

. Pilatus claims that it possesses unique STOL capabilities, capable of landing in places only otherwise accessible by

rotorcraft A rotary-wing aircraft, rotorwing aircraft or rotorcraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft with rotor wing, rotary wings that spin around a vertical mast to generate lift (force), lift. Part 1 (Definitions and Abbreviations) of Subchapter A of Chapt ...

. It is fully capable of being operated from unprepared rough airstrips, in remote areas, hot climates and at high altitudes in all-weather conditions. In particular, the undercarriage employed provides for high wing and propeller clearances, making the PC-6 less susceptible to damage than conventional nosewheel-type undercarriages. For further landing versatility, various types of

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...

may be optionally installed allowing it to operate from different types of terrain; options include floats for water landings and skis for landing on snow."PC-6: The World's Leading STOL."
''Pilatus Aircraft'', Retrieved: 17 March 2016. Early models of the PC-6 were equipped with a full instrument panel as standard, and were reportedly easy for unfamiliar pilots to intuit. Later-manufactured PC-6s are equipped with a

Garmin Garmin Ltd. is an American multinational technology company based in Olathe, Kansas. The company designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes GPS-enabled products and other navigation, communication, sensor-based, and information ...

G950

glass cockpit A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features an array of electronic (digital) flight instrument display device, displays, typically large liquid-crystal display, LCD screens, rather than traditional Analog device, analog dials and gauges ...

in place of analog instrumentation; the majority of earlier-produced PC-6s can also be retrofitted with a glass cockpit.Collins, Peter
"FLIGHT TEST: Pilatus PC-6."
''Flight International'', 28 September 2010. In addition to its flight functionality, the G950 system acts as a remote maintenance unit and

electronic flight bag An electronic flight bag (EFB) is an electronic information management device that helps flight crews perform flight management tasks more easily and efficiently with less paper providing the reference material often found in the pilot's carry-o ...

all in one. Two large 10.4-inch

liquid-crystal display A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other Electro-optic modulator, electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers to display information. Liq ...

s (LCDs) are present, functioning as the Primary Flight Display for all key flight information and the Multi-function Display for system/mission management. Fully independent secondary flight instrumentation is also provided to provide backup altitude, attitude, and airspeed information in the event of complete electrical failure. The cockpit has been designed for single pilot operations; additional flight controls for a co-pilot can be optionally fitted. Other optional features include an

autopilot An autopilot is a system used to control the path of a vehicle without requiring constant manual control by a human operator. Autopilots do not replace human operators. Instead, the autopilot assists the operator's control of the vehicle, allow ...

(capable of operating within all phases of flight),

traffic collision avoidance system A traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS), pronounced ), also known as an Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS), is an aircraft collision avoidance system designed to reduce the incidence of mid-air collision (MAC) between aircraf ...

(TCAS),

terrain awareness and warning system In aviation, a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) is generally an on-board system aimed at preventing unintentional impacts with the ground, termed "controlled flight into terrain" accidents, or CFIT.Federal Aviation AdministrationInsta ...

(TAWS),

weather radar A weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail etc.). Modern w ...

satellite phone A satellite telephone, satellite phone or satphone is a type of mobile phone that connects to other phones or the telephone network by radio link through satellites orbiting the Earth instead of terrestrial cell sites, as cellphones do. Therefo ...

LIDAR Lidar (, also LIDAR, an acronym of "light detection and ranging" or "laser imaging, detection, and ranging") is a method for determining ranging, ranges by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected li ...

forward-looking infrared Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation. The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other therma ...

(FLIR) and lightning detector; in addition, onboard electrical and avionics equipment are readily modifiable to conform with customer requirements. PC-6 Turbo-Porter cockpit

The airframe is of a rugged and low-maintenance construction; featuring high levels of accessibility, interchangeability, and favourable manning levels."PV-6 Turbo Porter: Anywhere, Anytime, in any Environment."
''Pilatus Aircraft'', Retrieved: 19 March 2016. The wings, fuselage, and empennage are manufactured using conventional semi-monocoque construction techniques, the primary structure being composed of aluminium; the central structure retains critical strength despite the cutout areas for the sliding doors of the main cabin.Fricker 1962, p. 101.

Corrosion Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engine ...

resistance is achieved via a combination of

plating Plating is a finishing process in which a metal is deposited on a surface. Plating has been done for hundreds of years; it is also critical for modern technology. Plating is used to decorate objects, for corrosion inhibition, to improve solderab ...

and a

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) is a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane term ...

-based

enamel paint Enamel paint is paint that air-dries to a hard, usually glossy, finish, used for coating surfaces that are outdoors or otherwise subject to hard wear or variations in temperature; it should not be confused with decorated objects in "painted enam ...

. The simple nature of the structure allows for ease of repair in the field. Features such as low-pressure tyres, twin-caliper

disc brake A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the #Calipers, calipers to squeeze pairs of #Brake pads, pads against a disc (sometimes called a

rake Rake may refer to: Common meanings * Rake (tool), a horticultural implement, a long-handled tool with tines * Rake (stock character), a man habituated to immoral conduct * Rake (poker), the commission taken by the house when hosting a poker game ...

rotor) to create friction. There are two basic types of brake pad friction mechanisms: abrasive f ...

s, and a highly energy-absorbent undercarriage enable the aircraft to be capable of operating from rough or otherwise challenging terrain. For role flexibility, individual aircraft can be easily converted between various mission types, such as transport,

paradrop A parachute is a device designed to slow an object's descent through an atmosphere by creating drag or aerodynamic lift. It is primarily used to safely support people exiting aircraft at height, but also serves various purposes like slowing c ...

aerial photography Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other flight, airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wi ...

surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing, or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as ...

air medical services Air medical services are the use of aircraft, including both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide various kinds of urgent medical care, especially prehospital, emergency and critical care to patients during Medical evacuation, aerome ...

and

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

duties. A maximum of ten passengers, or a 2,200 lb payload, may be carried within the aircraft's main cabin area within the rear section of the fuselage; the standard passenger seats are designed to allow for rapid removal and may be stowed within an optional separate externally-accessed seat stowage compartment behind the main cabin. The main cabin area is furnished with

soundproofing Soundproofing is any means of impeding sound propagation. There are several methods employed including increasing the distance between the source and receiver, decoupling, using noise barriers to reflect or absorb the energy of the sound waves, ...

measures, ventilation, and heating as standard. A maximum of three fuel tanks can also be carried in the main cabin, accordingly reducing payload capacity, to increase the aircraft's flight endurance. In addition to the large sliding doors at either side of the main cabin, separate hinged doors are present on either side of the cockpit; an optional pilot-controlled

trapdoor A trapdoor or hatch is a sliding or hinged door that is flush with the surface of a floor, ceiling, or roof. It is traditionally small in size. It was invented to facilitate the hoisting of grain up through mills, however, its list of uses has ...

, to accommodate supply drops or surveillance payloads, may also be installed in the center of the cabin floor without any design changes required. Additional equipment include a

firefighting Firefighting is a profession aimed at controlling and extinguishing fire. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter or fireman. Firefighters typically undergo a high degree of technical training. This involves structural fir ...

system,

aerial application Aerial application, or crop dusting, involves spraying crops with crop protection products from an agricultural aircraft. Planting certain types of seed are also included in aerial application. The specific spreading of fertilizer is also known a ...

system, underwing tanks,

sand filter Sand filters are used as a step in the water treatment process of water purification. There are three main types; rapid (gravity) sand filters, upward flow sand filters and slow sand filters. All three methods are used extensively in the water ...

s, propeller

de-icing De-icing is the process of removing snow, ice or frost from a surface. Anti-icing is the application of chemicals that not only de-ice but also remain on a surface and continue to delay the reformation of ice for a certain period of time, or pr ...

system,

mudguard A mudflap is an accessory on wheel wells of a motor vehicle. Mudflap may also refer to: * Mudflap (''Transformers''), several fictional robot superhero characters in the ''Transformers'' robot superhero franchise. *Mudflap, a version of the Nike ...

, tailwheel debris guard, oxygen system, and additional power distribution system.

Operational history

The PC-6 is noted for its ''Short Takeoff and Landing'' (

) performance on almost any type of terrain - it can take off within a distance of and land within a distance of while carrying a payload of 2,646 lbs (1,200 kg). Thanks to its STOL performance, the PC-6 holds the world record for highest landing by a

fixed-wing aircraft A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using aerodynamic lift. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft (in which a rotor mounted on a spinning shaft generate ...

, at , on the

Dhaulagiri Dhaulagiri, located in Nepal, is the seventh highest mountain in the world at above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country. It was first climbed on 13 May 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition. Annapur ...

glacier in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. Due to the type's favourable STOL characteristics, described by the magazine ''Flying'' as being "one of the most helicopter-like airplanes in terms of takeoff performance", Pilatus has deliberately marketed the PC-6 towards helicopter operators at times, feeling the type to be complementary to their typical mode of operation. According to Pilatus, the PC-6 can provide very similar surveillance capabilities to a rotorcraft at a significantly lower cost to operate and procure.Moxon, Julian
"Small is beautiful."
''Flight International'', 12 June 1996. Peruvian Air Force Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter

Peruvian Air Force Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter

During its early service, the PC-6 Porter was noted for its high level of comfort and usability against competing aircraft. The type has also proven to have a long service life; by 1993, roughly 440 of the 500 PC-6 Turbo Porters completed by that point were still in service.Moll 1993, p. 64. During the 1960s and 1970s, the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

-controlled airline Air America operated up to 23 PC-6s at a time. Many of these were operated in the South-East Asia region, including

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

during the Vietnam War. The type was used for various missions, including paradropping supplies to troops, passenger transport,

psychological warfare Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), has been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations ( MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and Mi ...

, reconnaissance, prisoner conveyance,

airborne radio relay Airborne radio relay is a technique employing aircraft fitted with radio relay stations for the purpose of increasing the range, flexibility, or physical security of communications systems. The aircraft may be manned or unmanned aerial vehicles. U ...

, and other intelligence operations. Since 1976, the

Austrian Air Force The Austrian Air Force () is a component part of the Austrian Armed Forces. Aircraft Current inventory History The Austrian Air Force in its current form was created in May 1955 by the victorious Allies of World War II, Allied powers ...

has operated a fleet of 12 PC-6 Porters as the mainstay of their fixed-wing transport fleet; the type has been used in various support roles, including transport, search and rescue, firefighting, observation, target-towing and paradropping. According to ''Flying'' magazine, around 40 per cent of all PC-6s in use in Europe during the early 1990s were being used by

skydivers Parachuting and skydiving are methods of descending from a high point in an atmosphere to the ground or ocean surface with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or multiple parachutes. For hu ...

. In 1996, during the

First Congo War The First Congo War, also known as Africa's First World War, was a Civil war, civil and international military conflict that lasted from 24 October 1996 to 16 May 1997, primarily taking place in Zaire (which was renamed the Democratic Republi ...

Zaire Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 18 May 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-la ...

's president

Mobutu Sese Seko Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa za Banga ( ; born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu; 14 October 1930 – 7 September 1997), often shortened to Mobutu Sese Seko or Mobutu and also known by his initials MSS, was a Congolese politician and military officer ...

hired Western European mercenaries (mostly French and Belgian) in an attempt to stop a Rwandan-led offensive. This contingent (part of the White Legion) was supported by a BAE Andover and a Pilatus PC-6B Turbo Porter transports and four

Mil Mi-24 The Mil Mi-24 (; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity transport helicopter, troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and was introduced ...

attack helicopters. The Porter was lost after colliding with a tall anthill which damaged the plane's landing gear, causing it to crash-land just a few days after arriving in Zaire.

Variants

Metrum Pilatus PC-6 B2-H4 Turbo Porter YL-CCQ

;PC-6/340 Porter :Initial production version, powered by a 254-kW (340-hp) Lycoming GSO-480-B1A6 flat-six piston engine. Max takeoff weight 1,960 kg (4,320 lb).Taylor 1965, pp. 126–127. :;PC-6/340-H1 Porter ::As PC-6/340, but with modified landing gear and increased weight (2,016 kg (4,444 lb)). :;PC-6/340-H2 Porter ::As for H-2, but with maximum takeoff weight increased to 2,200 kg (4,850 lb). ;PC-6/350 Porter :As PC-6/340, but powered by a 261 kW (350 hp) Lycoming IGO-540-A1A piston engine. :;PC-6/350-H1 Porter ::As for /340 H1 but with O-540 engine. :;PC-6/350-H2 Porter ::As for 340 H2 with O-540 engine. ;PC-6/A Turbo-Porter :Initial turboprop powered version, fitted with a 390 kW (523 shp)

Turbomeca Astazou The Turbomeca Astazou is a highly successful series of turboprop and turboshaft engines, first run in 1957. The original version weighed and developed at 40,000 rpm. It was admitted for aviation service on May 29, 1961, after a 150-hour test r ...

IIE or IIG turboprop engine. ;PC-6/A1 Turbo-Porter :This 1968 version was powered by a 427-kW (573-shp) Turbomeca Astazou XII turboprop engine. ;PC-6/A2 Turbo-Porter :This 1971 version was powered by a 427-kW (573-shp) Turbomeca Astazou XIVE turboprop engine. ;PC-6/B Turbo-Porter :This version was powered by a 410-kW (550-shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-6A turboprop engine. ;PC-6/B1 Turbo-Porter :Similar to the PC-6/B, but fitted with a 410-kW (550-shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 turboprop engine. ;PC-6/B2-H2 Turbo-Porter :Fitted with a 507-kW (680-shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 turboprop engine. ;PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo-Porter :The B2-H4 has improved airframe structuring and extended, upturned wingtips. ;PC-6/C Turbo-Porter :One prototype built by

Fairchild Industries Fairchild was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York; Hagerstown, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas. History Early aircraft The company was founded by Sherman Fairchild in 192 ...

in the United States, powered by a 429-kW (575-shp)

Garrett TPE331 The Honeywell TPE331 (military designation: T76) is a turboprop engine. It was designed in the 1950s by Garrett AiResearch, and produced since 1999 by successor Honeywell Aerospace. The engine's power output ranges from . Design and developm ...

-25D turboprop engine. ;PC-6/C1 Turbo-Porter :Similar to the PC-6/C, but fitted with a 429-kW (575-shp) Garrett TPE 331-1-100 turboprop engine. ;PC-6/C2-H2 Porter :Developed by Fairchild Industries in the USA. It was powered by a 485-ekW (650-ehp) Garrett TPE 331-101F turboprop engine. ;PC-6/D-H3 Porter :One prototype, fitted with a 373-kW (500-hp) avco Lycoming turbocharged piston engine. ; AU-23A Peacemaker :Armed gunship, counter-insurgency, utility transport version for the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...

. It was used during the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. 15 were built under licence in the USA by Fairchild Industries. All aircraft were sold to

Royal Thai Air Force The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) (; ) is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913 as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force has engaged in numerous major and minor conflicts. During the ...

. ;OV-12 :Designation for U.S. version, cancelled 1979. ;UV-20A Chiricahua :STOL utility transport version for the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

. Two UV-20As were based in

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

from late 1979 until 1991. ; PC-8D Twin Porter :Twin-engined version flown in 1967, but not subsequently developed.

Operators

Current military operators

Former military operators

Law enforcement operators

Civil operators

Former civil operators

Accidents and incidents

* 18 November 1981, a Pilatus PC-6 (Porter & Turbo Porter) of

Royal Nepal Airlines Nepal Airlines Corporation (), formerly known as Royal Nepal Airlines (), is the flag carrier of Nepal. Founded in 1958, it is the oldest airline of the country. Out of its main base at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, the airline ope ...

crashed after it lost height during take-off from Biratnagar Airport in

. The fatalities included 1 crew and 9 passengers with no survivors. * 12 November 1991 - An Australian Army Turbo Porter A14-683 crashed after it stalled on take off, killing two soldiers. The inquiry identified pilot error as the primary cause. The aircraft was written off. * 26 December 1999 - A Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo porter registration HB-FKJ crashed near

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

. Because of heavy turbulence, a wing broke away from the fuselage causing the plane to crash; the two people aboard died. * 15 March 2002 - A

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Pilatus UV-20A collided in midair with a Cessna 182C during parachute jumping operations at

Marana Regional Airport Marana Regional Airport , also known as Marana Northwest Regional Airport or Avra Valley Airport, is a non-towered, general aviation airport about northwest of Tucson in Marana, a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States. In 1999, the airp ...

, near

Marana, Arizona Marana () is a List of municipalities in Arizona, town that mostly lies in Pima County, Arizona, Pima County with a small portion in Pinal County, Arizona, Pinal County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is located northwest of Tucson, Arizona, ...

. While the Cessna was able to land, the Pilatus entered an uncontrolled dive and crashed, killing the pilot and destroying the aircraft. * 30 May 2008 - A Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo porter registration EC-JXH crashed near Lillo, Spain. After going into a stall, the plane's left wing broke causing the door to open, allowing nine skydivers to jump out and survive. One skydiver and the pilot died in the crash. * 25 April 2012 - A Pilatus PC-6 (PK VVQ), operated by Susi Air, crashed in Kalimantan Timur, Melak district killing the pilot and passenger(s) which was engaged in an Aerial Survey of the area. The aircraft was reported missing at 1710 LT on 25 April with the wreckage found on 26 April, thus confirming the condition of the occupants/aircraft. * 19 October 2013 - A Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter registration OO-NAC carrying ten skydivers (instructors and students) and a pilot, lost height and impacted terrain at Fernelmont some ten minutes after takeoff from nearby Namur-Suarlée Airport (EBNM), Belgium. All aboard died. The aircraft (S/N 710) was built in 1969 and had been rebuilt in 2002 by Pilatus Flugzeugwerke following a takeoff accident at Moorsele (EBMO) on 12 March 2000. * 19 June 2016 - A Pilatus PC-6 disintegrated in midair while carrying seven skydivers for practice in Beja, Portugal. All skydivers survived, although two were severely wounded. The pilot was the single fatality. * 30 August 2022 - A South African Police Service PC-6 crashed shortly after taking off from

Rand Airport Rand Airport is an airport in Germiston, South Africa. It was constructed in the 1920s as the main airport for Johannesburg, but the city outgrew it and replaced the airport with Palmietfontein Airport in 1948 (itself replaced by Jan Smuts ...

, South Africa. All five passengers died during the accident. The pilot was the sole survivor and was severely injured. * 8 March 2024 - A Pilatus PC-6 (PK-SNE), operated by Smart Aviation, crashed into a forest near Binuang, Nunukan, North Kalimantan, after taking off from Juwata Tarakan International Airport. During the flight, the plane had two people: the pilot and the engineer. The pilot was the sole survivor.

Specifications (PC-6 B2 Turbo-Porter)

Notable Appearances in Media

A PC-6/B2-H2 Turbo-Porter is featured in the opening scene of the 1995

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

film ''

GoldenEye ''GoldenEye'' is a 1995 spy film, the seventeenth in the List of James Bond films, ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional Secret Intelligence Service, MI6 agent James Bond (lit ...

,'' which Bond uses to escape from a clandestine Russian chemical weapons facility.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * Fricker, John
"Pilot Report: Pilatus".
'' Flying'', Vol. 70, No. 4. April 1962. ISSN 0015-4806. pp. 38, 100–103. * Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". ''

Flight International ''Flight International'', formerly ''Flight'', is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", i ...

'', Vol. 180, No. 5321, 13–19 December 2011. pp. 26–52. . * Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". ''Flight International'', Vol. 180, No. 5517, 8–14 December 2015. pp. 26–53.
Archived version
* * * Isserman, Maurice., Stewart Angas Weaver and Dee Molenaar. ''Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes.'' Yale University Press, 2008. . * Johnson, E.R. and Lloyd S. Jones. ''American Military Transport Aircraft Since 1925.'' McFarland, 2013. . * Lambert, Mark. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–1994''. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. . * Moll, Nigel
"Ugly is Only Skin-Deep."
''Flying'', Vol. 120, No. 2. February 1993. ISSN 0015-4806. pp. 62–68. * Taylor, John W. R. ''Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66''. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965. * Taylor, Michael J. H. ''Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000 Edition''. London: Brassey's, 1999. . *
Accident Pilatus PC-6/B1-H2 Turbo Porter A14-683, 12 Nov 1991

External links

Pilatus PC-6 Porter webpage

The PILATUS PORTER World by Markus Herzig
{{ADF aircraft prefixes PC-06 1950s Swiss civil utility aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft High-wing aircraft Single-engined turboprop aircraft Articles containing video clips Aircraft first flown in 1959 STOL aircraft Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear