Aircraft
Socata, Pilatus Struggle with Twin Models

Turboprop-single business aircraft manufacturers Pilatus and Daher-Socata seem to be having trouble defining time frames for producing larger, twin-engine airplanes–respectively the PC-24 and NTX–both companies told AIN this week at EBACE.

The PC-24 was to be unveiled this year, according to Pilatus’ latest annual report, but this has apparently changed. Yesterday at EBACE, the company told AIN that an announcement is now planned for EBACE 2013–in a year. In any case, the PC-24 is the only civil project Pilatus design engineers currently have on the drawing boards. It is understood to be a twin-engine design, but Pilatus will not say whether it is a jet or a turboprop.