Aircraft Overview Pilatus PC-24
Aircraft Overview: Pilatus PC-24
The PC-24 is a twin-engine business jet produced by Swiss manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft that made its first flight on May 11, 2015—a flight that was performed by an airframe registered as HB-VXA (prototype P01)—and was subsequently certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Dec. 7, 2017.
An upgraded version of the PC-24 was announced in October 2023 that increased the maximum and full-fuel payloads, as well as the six-passenger maximum range.
Cabin
According to the EASA type certificate data sheet (TCDS) for the PC-24, the maximum passenger seating capacities for the “executive interiors configuration” and “commuter interior configuration” are eight and 10, respectively.
However, when operated by a single pilot, that document notes that an additional passenger can be seated in the “right-hand cockpit seat.”
Beyond the certified passenger capacities above, Pilatus also markets several other possible layouts for the PC-24’s cabin, including six- and eight-seat executive configurations.
The airplane’s passengers are accommodated in a cabin that has a length of 23 ft., width of 5 ft. 7 in., height of 5 ft. 1 in. and volume of 501 ft.3, with the length and volume both measured between the cabin/cockpit partition and the aft pressure bulkhead.
The PC-24’s cargo door has a height of 4 ft. 3 in. and width of 4 ft. 1 in., and—depending on the position of the aft partition—the volume of the baggage compartment is either 51 ft.3 (aft position) or 90 ft.3 (forward position).
Avionics
The PC-24 is certified for single-pilot operations, with the pilot(s) utilizing Pilatus’ Advanced Cockpit Environment (ACE) avionics system that is “powered by Honeywell’s Primus Epic 2.0 integrated avionics.”
The avionics features of the type include an autothrottle, dual flight management systems (FMS) and Mode S diversity transponders—the latter of which has automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) Out capability—four 12-in. liquid crystal displays (LCD), a touch-screen controller, the SmartView synthetic vision system and a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS).
The PC-24 is also capable of required navigation performance (RNP) 0.3 and can fly localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approaches.
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Variants
Powering the PC-24 are two Williams International FJ44-4A-QPM turbofan engines that have normal and maximum takeoff engine limits of 3,420 lb. and 3,600 lb., respectively.
The airframe also has a Quiet Power Mode (QPM) that “allows the aircraft to power the cabin and all systems, including climate control, using the right engine in a sub-idle mode while on the ground.”
Several maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) limitations are certified for this Pilatus type, with an 18,740-lb. limitation approved “for aircraft with Design Weight Increase MSN 501 and up.”
The maximum payload of the PC-24 is 3,100 lb.—a weight that is reduced to 1,314 lb. when carrying full fuel—and the type has an 890-gal. (5,964 lb.) usable fuel capacity.
Mission and Performance
Operating limitations of the PC-24 include a maximum operating Mach number (MMO) of 0.74 Mach and a maximum operating altitude of 45,000 ft.
The single-engine service ceiling is 29,100 ft., the maximum cruise speed at flight level (FL) 280 is 440-kt. true airspeed (KTAS) and the time to directly climb from sea level to FL450 is 27.1 min.
When carrying National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) instrument flight rules (IFR) reserves “of 100 nm,” four passengers and assuming an 800-lb. payload—in addition to being flown by a one pilot at the long-range cruise “+30 min.”—the PC-24’s maximum range is 2,040 nm.
That maximum range is 2,000 nm with six passengers and 1,200 lb. of payload, while with the maximum payload the range is 1,154 nm.
Promoted for its “certification for operations on” dirt, gravel, grass and snow—as well as the ability to operate from short runways—the PC-24 is capable of a takeoff distance (balanced field length) of 3,090 ft. on a runway that is dry and paved, at sea-level altitude and in International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) conditions and at the type’s MTOW.
Based on the same criteria except for the maximum landing weight, the landing distance over a 50-ft. obstacle is 2,410 ft.
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