One year after the first major upgrade since its inception in the early 1990s, the Pilatus PC-12 NG remains the best seller in the pressurized single-engine turboprop class of aircraft which the Swiss manufacturer helped to create. Pilatus (Booth No. 7031 and on the static display) delivered 97 PC-12s last year, of which about three quarters were the New Generation versions.
The upgrade–based mainly on the new Honeywell Primus Apex flight deck and the more powerful Pratt &Whitney Canada PT6A-67P engine–has increased the PC-12 price from around $3.4 million to around $4 million for a typically equipped version. The new powerplant has improved climb performance and has increased cruise speed to 280 knots. The Honeywell Primus Apex avionics suite, although sophisticated, is also praised for its ease of use and it is well suited for single-pilot operation.
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