The Swiss aircraft manufacturer, Pilatus company, presented Tuesday its last plane, the PC-21, 3 years after the launching of this project supported by South Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom.
The last-born child of Pilatus will fly for the first time on July 1 and its development cost 200 million FS (133 M EUR), indicated the direction of the company.
Pilatus PC-21 is a single-engined aircraft with a two-places cockpit , like its predecessors PC-7 and PC-9. It is propelled by a Pratt & Whitney turbomotor . According to Pilatus, the PC-21 offers the possibilities of a “jet” at lower cost.
The project of the PC-21 was launched in 1999. South-African, Australian and British air forces took part in its development. After
the presentation of the plane Tuesday, the following phase will relate to the flight tests. A second airframe will be built for this reason.
Pilatus hopes to receive the authorization to market its new aircraft
in 2004. The first model of series should then leave the assembly lines of Stans in November 2004.
The PC-21, according to options’ chosen, will cost between 8 and 10 M FS (5,33 and 6,66 M EUR). Pilatus estimates the market of the planes of the 20 next years at 1.000 aircrafts and hopes for a share of market of 50%.
The PC-21 is intended for the air forces. It however is not envisaged
to equip it out of weapons, according to the general manager of Pilatus Oskar Schwenk.
The PC-21 can transport 1,5 ton of loads under its wings.
In 2001, Pilatus delivered 75 planes, against 85 in 2000.
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May 1, 2002 at 7:18 am