Pilatus PC-12 NG: Next Big Thing
The Honeywell Apex Integrated flat-panel avionics system and a host of safety and quality of life enhancements make the PC-12 a hotter commodity than ever.
By Robert Goyer
Photographed by Paul Bowen
September 2008
Since its certification back in 1994, the hallmark of the remarkably successful Pilatus PC-12 turboprop single has been its tremendous flexibility and utility -- with a cabin full of passengers and cargo, it can go from a cozy dirt strip to the city lights a thousand miles distant, flying far above the terrain and much of the weather, and do so at very respectable speeds. Today, with the rising cost of fuel, the cost savings associated with having a single powerplant instead of two makes the airplane all the more desirable. Pilatus has more than 200 orders for the latest model, and used airplanes are typically going for 100 percent of their original price. To say that owners love this airplane is a huge understatement.
As with very few other airplanes, the PC-12 has no real direct competition. A relatively fast, pressurized short/rough field, single-engine turboprop with a huge cabin, the airplane pretty much defines its own niche. The closest you can come is the Beech King Air B200, a great airplane, yes, but one that has two PT-6s instead of one.
When it came time for Pilatus to upgrade the PC-12, the first major move was obvious. The big Swiss single was one of the only high-end models still lacking flat-panel avionics. So the introduction of glass was a given, especially since the core mission of the airplane has become predominantly executive transport.
The PC-12 NG is more than an avionics upgrade marketed as a new model. The NG incorporates dozens of substantial changes from spinner to tail, some intoduced on the NG model and some with recent upgrades. The result is an airplane that is better in very real ways than any previous PC-12.
I recently flew up to Denver to fly the PC-12 NG out of Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (still referred to as Jeffco [KBJC] by most pilots) on a warm, gray and soon to be bumpy early summer day. Demoing the airplane for me was Pilatus North America chief pilot Peter Duncan, who even after a few months of getting to know the next-gen model was still clearly enthralled by the changes.
As Peter walked me around the airplane, still ensconced in its air conditioned corporate hangar, we had to stop every few steps so he could show me an upgrade. It soon became clear that there was a lot more behind this PC-12 than just new avionics.
The New Avionics
When Pilatus announced the PC-12 NG at the National Business Aviation Association Convention last fall, it went with a new brand from an old company, the Honeywell Primus Apex. In reality, Apex seems a lot more like Honeywell's bizjet suite, Primus Epic, than a whole new suite. It incorporates many of the features you'd find in the biggest Gulfstreams and Falcons while using right-sized technology for features where it makes sense.
The system is anchored by four 10.4-inch displays, bounded by a pair of PFD/radio controllers alongside each PFD and an autopilot controller (for the excellent Honeywell digital autopilot) directly above the top MFD.
Below the lower of the two MFDs in the console is what Honeywell refers to as the "MFD Controller." It's really an FMS controller on steroids, as the unit gives the pilot access to much more than just flight planning functions. You can monitor and command certain systems, tune, enter and swap frequencies in the nav and comm radios, enter transponder codes and more.
The design and layout of the cockpit is probably the best I've ever seen, with Apex's central display technology allowing for greatly simplified instrumentation. And Pilatus engineers took full advantage of the opportunity, creating a clean, elegant and beautiful arrangement of switches, displays and controls. The overhead panel, for example, contains all of the lighting controls, engine start and ignition switches. This kind of design approach greatly reduces the pilot's workload. When it's time to perform a certain function, it's one-stop shopping instead of having to travel from one end of the panel to the other, as we've all had to do in other airplanes.
The way the pilot controls the software -- we are talking computers here -- is through the system's cursor control device (CCD). You might be surprised to learn that the shape of the "mouse" is the single biggest point of contention in modern avionics design, but it's true. The device has to be easily controlled normally and in turbulence, and its functionality has to match the design of the avionics it controls. On top of that, CCD design is highly subjective. What one pilot (or manufacturer) loves, another one hates. That said, the little joystick CCD on the PC-12 is very nicely implemented. It's small enough to fit well on the multifunction controller panel without taking up too much extra space that could be (and is) dedicated to other important features, and it does its job surprisingly well for such a small device.
As I mentioned, there are two PFDs, one for the pilot and one for the copilot -- the PC-12 is a single-pilot airplane that needs no type rating, and the copilot's display is technically optional, though so far not one customer has declined the "option." The PFDs are conventional looking, featuring a typical split HSI/ADI display with tape-style airspeed and vertical speed displays along the sides.
The displays are upgradeable to synthetic vision through Honeywell's Integrated Primary Flight Display (IPFD), when that already certified technology becomes available for the PC-12, as is no doubt in the cards. So far no date has been announced, but it's likely to be sooner rather than later. And Pilatus and Honeywell point out that the system will, likewise, be upgradeable to new and better features as they become available. Electronic charts and XM Weather are two utilities that weren't finished in time for certification but should be ready before the end of the year.
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