Pilatus PC-6 Porter

The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a single-engined Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) utility aircraft designed by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. First flown in 1959, the PC-6 has been built in both piston engine and turboprop powered versions, and has been built both by Pilatus and by Fairchild Hiller in the United States. It remains in production as of August 2011.

Design and development
The first prototype made its maiden flight on 4 May 1959 powered by a 254 kW (340-shp) piston engine. The first Turbo Porter, powered by a turboprop, flew in 1961. The Turbo Porter received an engine upgrade in 1963, which increased its power to its present value of 410 kW (550-shp).

In the United States, the Porter was manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller. In service with the U.S. Air Force, it received the designation AU-23A Peacemaker. In U.S. Army use, it was designated UV-20 Chiricahua.

Operational history
The PC-6 is noted for its Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) performance on almost any type of terrain - it can take off within a distance of 640 ft and land within a distance of 427 ft while carrying a payload of 2,646 lbs (1,200 kg). Thanks to its STOL performance, the PC-6 holds the world record for highest landing by a fixed-wing aircraft, at 18,865 ft, on the Dhaulagiri glacier in Nepal.

Due to these characteristics, they are frequently used to access short grass mountaintop airstrips in the highlands of Papua Province (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea.

Variants

 * PC-6/340 Porter
 * Initial production version, powered by a 254-kW (340-hp) Lycoming GSO-480-B1A6 flat-six piston engine. Max take-off weight 1,960 kg (4,320 lb).


 * PC-6/340-H1 Porter
 * As PC-6/340, but with modified landing gear and increased weight (2,016 kg (4,444 lb)).


 * PC-6/340-H2 Porter
 * As for H-2, but with maximum take-off weight increased to 2,200 kg (4,850 lb).


 * PC-6/350 Porter
 * As PC-6/340, but powered by a 261 kW (350 hp) Lycoming IGO-540-A1A piston engine.


 * PC-6/350-H1 Porter
 * As for /340 H1 but with O-540 engine.


 * PC-6/350-H2 Porter
 * As for 340 H2 with O-540 engine.


 * PC-6/A Turbo-Porter
 * Initial turboprop powered version, fitted with a 390 kW (523 shp) Turboméca Astazou IIE or IIG turboprop engine.


 * PC-6/A1 Turbo-Porter
 * This 1968 version was powered by a 427-kW (573-shp) Turbomeca Astazou XII turboprop engine.


 * PC-6/A2 Turbo-Porter
 * This 1971 version was powered by a 427-kW (573-shp) Turbomeca Astazou XIVE turboprop engine.


 * PC-6/B Turbo-Porter
 * This version was powered by a 410-kW (550-shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-6A turboprop engine.


 * PC-6/B1 Turbo-Porter
 * Similar to the PC-6/B, but fitted with a 410-kW (550-shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 turboprop engine.


 * PC-6/B2-H2 Turbo-Porter
 * Fitted with a 507-kW (680-shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 turboprop engine.


 * PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo-Porter
 * The B2-H4 has improved airframe structuring and extended, upturned wingtips.


 * PC-6/C Turbo-Porter
 * One prototype built by Fairchild Industries in the USA, powered by a 429-kW (575-shp) Garrett TPE331-25D turboprop engine.


 * PC-6/C1 Turbo-Porter
 * Similar to the PC-6/C, but fitted with a 429-kW (575-shp) Garrett TPE 331-1-100 turboprop engine.


 * PC-6/C2-H2 Porter
 * Developed by Fairchild Industries in the USA. It was powered by a 485-ekW (650-ehp) Garrett TPE 331-101F turboprop engine.


 * PC-6/D-H3 Porter
 * One prototype, fitted with a 373-kW (500-hp) avco Lycoming turbocharged piston engine.


 * AU-23A Peacemaker
 * Armed gunship, counter-insurgency, utility transport version for the U.S. Air Force. It was used during the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. 35 were built under licence in the USA by Fairchild Industries. All aircraft were sold to Royal Thai Air Force.


 * OV-12
 * Designation for U.S. version, cancelled 1979.


 * UV-20A Chiricahua
 * STOL utility transport version for the U.S. Army. Two UV-20As were based in West Berlin during the 1970s and 1980s.


 * PC-8D Twin Porter
 * Twin-engined version flown in 1967, but not subsequently developed.

Current military operators

 * National Air Force of Angola
 * Argentine Navy
 * Gendarmeria Nacional Argentina
 * Austrian Air Force
 * (Myanmar)
 * Myanmar Air Force
 * Chad Air Force
 * Ecuadorian Army
 * Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
 * Mexican Air Force
 * Peruvian Air Force
 * Slovenian Air Force and Air Defence
 * Swiss Air Force
 * Royal Thai Air Force
 * Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation
 * United States Army
 * Mexican Air Force
 * Peruvian Air Force
 * Slovenian Air Force and Air Defence
 * Swiss Air Force
 * Royal Thai Air Force
 * Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation
 * United States Army
 * Royal Thai Air Force
 * Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation
 * United States Army
 * United States Army
 * United States Army

Former Military operators

 * Australian Army Aviation - 19 Turbo-Porters were in service with Australian Army from 1968 to 1992.
 * 6th Aviation Regiment (Australia)
 * 173rd Surveillance Squadron (Australia)
 * No. 161 Independent Reconnaissance Flight
 * No. 163 Independent Reconnaissance Flight
 * No. 171 Air Cavalry Flight
 * School Army Aviation
 * [[Image:FlagofBophuthatswana.png|22px]] Bophuthatswana
 * Bophuthatswana Air Force - Later transferred to South African Air Force
 * Colombian Air Force
 * SATENA
 * French Army
 * Israeli Air Force
 * 100 Squadron
 * Royal Air Force of Oman
 * South African Air Force
 * Royal Thai Army
 * United Arab Emirates Air Force
 * United States Army
 * United States Air Force
 * Royal Air Force of Oman
 * South African Air Force
 * Royal Thai Army
 * United Arab Emirates Air Force
 * United States Army
 * United States Air Force
 * Royal Thai Army
 * United Arab Emirates Air Force
 * United States Army
 * United States Air Force
 * United States Army
 * United States Air Force

Law Enforcement operators

 * Royal Malaysian Police
 * Royal Oman Police
 * South African Police Service
 * Royal Thai Police
 * South African Police Service
 * Royal Thai Police
 * Royal Thai Police
 * Royal Thai Police

Civil operators

 * Mission Aviation Fellowship
 * Yajasi Aviation
 * Susi Air
 * 🇲🇳 mongolia
 * Thomas Air
 * Yeti Airlines
 * Mount Cook Airlines
 * Mission Aviation Fellowship
 * Thai Ministry of Agriculture
 * Air America
 * CASI
 * Mission Aviation Fellowship
 * Thai Ministry of Agriculture
 * Air America
 * CASI
 * Air America
 * CASI
 * CASI

Former civil operators

 * National Hidrological Service
 * National Ambulance Service
 * National Ambulance Service

Accidents and incidents

 * 26 December 1999 A Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo porter registration HB-FKJ crashed near Turin. Because of heavy turbulance a wing broke causing the plane to crash, the 2 people aboard died.
 * 30 May 2008 A Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo porter registration EC-JXH crashed near Toledo. After going into a stall, the plane's left wing broke causing to open the door, and because of this 9 skydivers jumped out and survived. One skydiver and the pilot died in the crash.
 * 19 October 2013: A Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter registration OO-NAC carrying 10 skydivers (instructors and students) and a pilot, lost height and impacted terrain at Fernelmont some ten minutes after take-off from nearby Namur-Suarlée Airport (EBNM), Belgium, all aboard died. The aircraft (S/N 710) was built in 1969 and had been rebuilt in 2002 by Pilatus Flugzeugwerke following a take-off accident at Moorsele (EBMO) on 12 March 2000.