Pilatus PC-6 Turbo-Porter
Designed by: Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, Stans, Switzerland
Year of manufacture: 1966 (12 Porter) and 1975 (6 Turbo-Porter)
Purpose: Transport, fire fighting, air-rescue, liaison, scouting flights
Crew: 1 pilot, 1 copilot, 6 Passengers
Commenced service: 1967
Number of aircraft procured: 18
Number of aircraft still in service: 15 (as per July 2011)
Registration: V-630 to V-635; V-612 to V-623
The Swiss Air Force utilizes the Pilatus Porter PC-6 as a light transport category aircraft. Its robust design and short-field take-off and landing capability allows it to operate in nearly every region. The Air Force procured 6 Turbo Porters in 1976, and at the same time the already operated piston-engined Porters underwent modifications whereby the new high performance turbo-propeller turbines were installed (PC-6 retrofit).
Today the Porter serves mainly as a transport aircraft for personnel and equipment and is further utilized in scouting operations and in the dropping of parabats.
3 Porters got lost in accidents.
Technical data
| Max. speed: | 244 km/hr |
| Max. rate of climb: | 10 m/s |
| Max. flightlevel: | 10'000 m/asl |
| Flight endurance: | 6 hours |
| Range: | 1'336 km |
| Structure: | Tapered high wing, all-metal fuselage |
| Length: | 11 m |
| Height: | 3.2 m |
| Width span: | 15.2 m |
| Empty mass: | 1'330 kg |
| Permissable load: | 1'440 kg |
| Max. take-off mass (MTOM): | 2'770 kg |
| Engine: | Model Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 (575 PS) |
| Type: | Free-spool turbo-prop |
| Max. Rpm: | 3'300 rev/Min |
| Equipment: | Dual cockpit controls, flaps, equipped for instrument and night flying |
