View source for Engineering:Pilatus PC-9

{{short description|Single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop military training aircraft}}
{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
  |name= PC-9
  |image= File:Pilatus PC-9M Hudournik landing.jpg
  |caption= Pilatus PC-9M of the Slovenian Armed Forces
}}{{Infobox aircraft type
  |type= Basic/advanced [[Engineering:Trainer aircraft|trainer aircraft]]
  |national origin = {{wipe|Switzerland}}
  |manufacturer= Pilatus Aircraft
  |designer=
  |first flight= 7 May 1984
  |introduced=
  |retired=
  |status= Active service
  |primary user= {{wipe|Swiss Air Force}}
  |more users= {{wipe|Slovenian Air Force and Air Defence}} <br />{{wipe|Royal Saudi Air Force}} <br />{{wipe|Royal Thai Air Force}} <!-- Only THREE "more users" here. Separate users with <br />. -->
  |produced= 1984–present
  |number built= 265
  |developed from= [[Engineering:Pilatus PC-7|Pilatus PC-7]]
  |variants with their own articles=
  |developed into= T-6 Texan II
}}
|}

The '''Pilatus PC-9''' is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat [[Engineering:Turboprop|turboprop]] training aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of {{wipe|Switzerland}}. Designed as a more powerful evolution of the [[Engineering:Pilatus PC-7|Pilatus PC-7]], the PC-9's first flight was made in May 1984 after which certification was achieved in September 1985. After this, the first production orders for the type were received from the {{wipe|Royal Saudi Air Force}}, with deliveries commencing in 1985. Since then, more than 250 airframes have been produced across five different variants, and the type is employed by a number of military and civilian operators around the world, including the {{wipe|Swiss Air Force}}, {{wipe|Croatian Air Force}}, {{wipe|Royal Thai Air Force}} and the Irish Air Corps

==Design and development==
The PC-9 is a more powerful evolution of the [[Engineering:Pilatus PC-7|PC-7]]. It retains the overall layout of its predecessor, but it has very little structural commonality with it. Amongst other improvements, the PC-9 features a larger cockpit with stepped [[Engineering:Ejection seat|ejection seat]]s and also has a ventral airbrake.

The PC-9 program 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 {{wipe|Royal Air Force}} trainer competition to the [[Engineering:Short Tucano|Short Tucano]]. However, the marketing links that Pilatus built up with British Aerospace during the competition led to their first order from Saudi Arabia.

{{As of|2004}}, more than 250 aircraft of this type have been built.

==Operational history==
The first production aircraft for the {{wipe|Royal Australian Air Force}} (RAAF) flew on 19 May 1987, under the Australian designation '''PC-9/A'''.

Condor of {{wipe|Germany}} uses 10 examples of the [[Engineering:Target tug|target-towing]] variant.

On 22 March 1991, during Operation Provide Comfort, Capt. Thomas Dietz and Lt. Bob Hehemann were patrolling over Iraqi airspace in [[Engineering:McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle|F-15C Eagles]] when they detected two contacts on radar, prompting Dietz and Hehemann to approach to visually identify them. Hehemann pursued a PC-9, while Dietz positioned himself behind and shot down a Sukhoi Su-22. The pilot of the PC-9 saw the explosion and spontaneously ejected, nearly being struck by Hehemann. Hehemann confirmed the chute deployment and pilots’ survival before flying in formation with the empty aircraft until it descended and crashed into the ground a minute and fifty seconds later. Hehemann was awarded with a maneuver kill.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davies |first1=Steve |title=F-15C Eagle Units in Combat |date=2005 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford |isbn=978-1-84176-730-7 |page=74}}</ref>

In August 2015, Pilatus received a contract to deliver nine PC-9Ms to the Royal Jordanian Air Force, but in April 2016 changed the order to eight PC-21s. Deliveries were due to start in January 2017 under the original deal.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/jordan-amends-pilatus-order-to-take-pc-21-trainers-424048/ |title=Jordan amends Pilatus order to take PC-21 trainers |date=11 April 2016 |publisher=FlightGlobal |access-date=13 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417121720/https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/jordan-amends-pilatus-order-to-take-pc-21-trainers-424048/ |archive-date=17 April 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The United States Army operated three PC-9s from 1991 to 1996 as chase and test aircraft. They eventually were sold to Slovenia in 1995.<ref name="Harding 1997, p. 202">Harding 1997, p. 202.</ref>

==Variants==
[[File:PC-9 Meiringen.jpg|thumb|Swiss Air Force PC-9 with Vista 5 Jammer]]

;PC-9
:Two-seat basic trainer aircraft.
;PC-9/A
: 67 two-seat trainers for the Royal Australian Air Force. 2 fully built planes supplied by Pilatus, 17 assembled from kits and 48 built under licence in {{wipe|Australia}} by Hawker de Havilland.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.adf-serials.com.au/3a23.htm |title=ADF Serials - Pilatus Pc-9a |access-date=2018-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228114210/http://www.adf-serials.com.au/3a23.htm |archive-date=2019-02-28 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.airvectors.net/avpc9.html#m2 |title=Pilatus Turbo-Trainers |access-date=2012-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121205123427/http://www.airvectors.net/avpc9.html#m2 |archive-date=2012-12-05 |url-status=live }}</ref>
;PC-9B
:Two-seat target-towing aircraft for the {{wipe|German Air Force}}. This target-towing version has an increased fuel capacity enabling flight for up to 3 hours and 20 minutes as well as two Southwest RM-24 winches under the wings. These winches can reel out a target up to 3.5 kilometres.
;PC-9M:
:This version was introduced in 1997 as the new standard model. It has an enlarged dorsal fin in order to improve longitudinal stability, modified wingroot fairings, stall strips on the leading edges as well as new engine and propeller controls. Croatia bought 17 new examples in 1997; Slovenia placed an order for nine (nicknamed ''Hudournik'' – "Swift") in December of the same year; Oman ordered 12 examples in January 1999; and Ireland signed a contract for eight in January 2003. Bulgaria purchased 12 aircraft in 2004. Mexico received at least two in September 2006. The last order was made by Ireland for one attrition replacement aircraft, it was delivered in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://flyinginireland.com/2017/07/air-corps-receive-new-pilatus-pc-9m/|title=Air Corps receive new Pilatus PC-9M|work=FlyingInIreland.com|date=6 July 2017 }}</ref>
;Beech Pilatus PC-9 Mk.2
:In order to compete in the {{wipe|United States}} JPATS competition, Pilatus and Beechcraft developed an extensively modified version of the PC-9, initially called the '''Beech Pilatus PC-9 Mk. II''' which won out over seven other contenders.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Air Progress|date=March 1993|author=Eddie Torson|title=Beech's J-PATS Candidate Reaches The Final Phase of Testing}}</ref> It was later renamed the '''[[Engineering:Beechcraft T-6 Texan II|Beechcraft T-6A Texan II]]''' and is now built and marketed independently by Beechcraft. Over 700 are to be built for the {{wipe|United States Air Force}} and United States Navy, with Pilatus receiving royalties.

==Operators==
===Military operators===
;{{ANG}}
* National Air Force of Angola<ref name="World Air Forces 2018">{{cite web|url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-world-air-forces-maintaining-strength-443655/|title= World Air Forces 2018|publisher= Flightglobal Insight|year= 2018|access-date= 2 April 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171202153055/https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-world-air-forces-maintaining-strength-443655/|archive-date= 2 December 2017|url-status= live}}</ref>
;{{BUL}}
* {{wipe|Bulgarian Air Force}}<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/>
[[File:Bulgarian Air Force Pilatus PC-9M Lofting-1.jpg|thumb|right|{{wipe|Bulgarian Air Force}} Pilatus PC-9M]]
;{{HRV}}
* {{wipe|Croatian Air Force}}<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/>
[[File:Pilatus PC 9 111209 1.jpg|thumb|right|Croatian Air Force aerobatic team Wings of Storm]]
;{{CHA}}
* {{wipe|Chadian Air Force}}<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/>
;{{IRL}}
* Irish Air Corps<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/>
[[File:Pilatus PC-9 of the Irish Air Corp flying in formation 11.jpg|thumb|right|Pilatus PC-9s of the Irish Air Corps flying in formation]]
;{{MEX}}
* {{wipe|Mexican Air Force}}<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/>
;{{MYA}}
* {{wipe|Myanmar Air Force}}<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/>
;{{OMN}}
* {{wipe|Royal Air Force of Oman}}<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/>
;{{SLO}}
* {{wipe|Slovenian Air Force and Air Defence}}<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/>
;{{SUI}}
* {{wipe|Swiss Air Force}}<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/>
;{{THA}}
* {{wipe|Royal Thai Air Force}}<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/>
;{{CYP}}
* Cyprus Air Command<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/>

===Former military operators===
;{{AUS}}
* {{wipe|Royal Australian Air Force}}<ref name="World Air Forces 2018"/> Retired in 2019, replaced by the [[Engineering:Pilatus PC-21|Pilatus PC-21]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dominguez |first1=Gabriel |title=RAAF retires fleet of PC-9/A training aircraft |url=https://www.janes.com/article/93167/raaf-retires-fleet-of-pc-9-a-training-aircraft |access-date=14 December 2019 |work=Jane's |date=12 December 2019}}</ref>
[[File:RAAF PC9 A23-013.jpg|thumb|right|RAAF PC-9/A operated by 2FTS]]
;{{IRQ}}
* {{wipe|Iraqi Air Force}}
;{{USA}}
* United States Army<ref name="Harding 1997, p. 202"/>

==Aircraft on display==
;{{AUS}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.australiandefence.com.au/defence/air/defence-provides-update-on-hornet-disposal-plans|title=Defence provides update on Hornet disposal plans|publisher=Australian Defence Magazine|date=7 May 2020}}</ref>
* A23-001 – RAAF Museum, RAAF Base Point Cook
* A23-009 – gate guardian at RAAF Base Pearce
* A23-020 – Fighter World, RAAF Base Williamtown
* A23-022 – RAAF Base Townsville Aviation Heritage Centre
* A23-028 – Fleet Air Arm Museum, HMAS ''Albatross''
* A23-030 – gate guardian at RAAF Base East Sale
* A23-031 – RAAF Wagga Heritage Centre
* A23-032 – RAAF Wagga Heritage Centre, in storage for eventual display at another location
* A23-036 – gate guardian at RAAF Base East Sale

==Specifications (PC-9M)==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004<ref name="JAWA03 p455-6">Jackson 2003, pp. 455–456.</ref>
|prime units?=met<!-- imp or kts first for US aircraft, and UK aircraft pre-metrification, met(ric) first for all others. You MUST choose a format, or no specifications will show -->
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|genhide=
|crew=one or two pilots
|capacity=
|length m=10.14
|length ft=
|length in=
|span m=10.125
|span ft=
|span in=
|height m=3.26
|height ft=
|height in=
|wing area sqm=16.29
|wing area sqft=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=1725
|empty weight lb=
|gross weight kg=2350
|gross weight lb=
|max takeoff weight kg=3200
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
[[File:Pilatus PC-9 Cockpit.JPEG|thumb|right|upright|A view of the interior of the cockpit of a Pilatus PC-9 aircraft.]]
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62
|eng1 type=turboprop
|eng1 kw=857<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
|power original= &nbsp;flat-rated at 708&nbsp;kW (950 shp)
|thrust original=
|more power=
|prop blade number=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
<!--
        Performance
-->
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=593
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|cruise speed kmh=556
|cruise speed mph=<!-- if max speed unknown -->
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=at 7,620 m (25,000 ft)
|stall speed kmh=143<!-- aerobatic -->
|stall speed mph=<!-- aerobatic -->
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=EAS flaps and gear up, 128 km/h (80 mph; 69 kn) flaps and gear down
|range km=1537
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|endurance=4 hr 30 min
|ceiling m=11580
|ceiling ft=
|g limits= + 7.0 g to −3.5 g
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=4090
|lift to drag=
|wing loading=
|disk loading=
|more performance=
* '''Take-off distance over 50&nbsp;ft (15 m) obstacle at sea level:''' 1,280&nbsp;ft (391 m)
* '''Landing distance over 50&nbsp;ft (15 m) obstacle at sea level:''' 2,295&nbsp;ft (700 m)
|hardpoints= seven hardpoints, 3 under each wing, inner two rated at 250 kg (550 lb), outer rated at 110 kg (240 lb)
|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent|
|related=
* [[Engineering:Beechcraft T-6 Texan II|Beechcraft T-6 Texan II]]
* [[Engineering:Pilatus PC-7|Pilatus PC-7]]
* [[Engineering:Pilatus PC-21|Pilatus PC-21]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[Engineering:Embraer EMB 312 Tucano|Embraer EMB 312 Tucano]]
* [[Engineering:Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano|Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano]]
* [[Engineering:Grob G 120TP|Grob G 120TP]]
* KAI KT-1
* [[Engineering:PZL-130 Orlik|PZL-130 Orlik]]
|lists=
|see also=
* Blue Phoenix
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* Harding, Stephen. ''U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947.'' Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1997. {{ISBN|978-0-76430-190-2}}.
* Jackson, Paul. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004.'' Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. {{ISBN|0-7106-2537-5}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{commons|Pilatus PC-9}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090922043728/http://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/applications/webgallery/index_rd.php?kat=0000000039 Pilatus PC-9 Image Gallery]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Pilatus Pc-9}}
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]

{{Sourceattribution|Pilatus PC-9}}