PC-9

The Pilatus PC-9, a sleek modern trainer designed to operate for 30 years per airframe, at costs below that of existing advanced trainers, but with better performance and flexibility.

• Detailed moulded fuselage complete with panel detail
• Clear moulded canopy
• Accurate shape and colour scheme with applied and sealed decals
• Spray finish using special formula film covering, very realistic!
• Supplied fixed u/c with optional retracts
• Ideal for 30cc petrol or 2.00 glow
• Specially designed wing geometry for excellent low speed, almost unstalable handling.
• Custom formulated film with anti tear properties used on the flying surfaces helps keep wrinkling to a minimum.
• The most accurate scale ARTF's available in this price range.

The PC-9 is a more powerful evolution of the PC-7. It retains the overall layout of its predecessor but 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 programme 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 RAF trainer competition to the Short Tucano. However, the marketing links that Pilatus built up with British Aerospace during the competition stood them in good stead, as it soon led to their first order from Saudi Arabia.