The Pilatus PC-12 is not the only one of its kind. There are a few other pressurized singles as well as other rugged turboprop singles. And there are also additional nine-passenger near-midsize cabin transportation airplanes. Here is a quick look at some of them up against the PC-12 NG.
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TBM 850**
The Daher-Socata TBM 850 and the PC-12 NG are both powered by a single Pratt & Whitney PT6A engine, but the PC-12 NG is a much larger airplane, with nearly three times the cabin volume and a much greater payload. Despite its size, the Pilatus’ short-field performance capability also beats the TBM. However, the TBM 850 bests the PC-12 NG in speed, efficiency and price.
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Cessna Citation Mustang**
With more than six feet of additional length, the PC-12 NG fuselage dwarfs the Mustang’s. The estimated operating cost per nautical mile is comparable, and the range and short-field capabilities favor Pilatus. But where the Mustang beats the PC-12 NG is in the initial purchase price, which is more than $1.3 million less, and the speed, which is 60 knots faster.
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Embraer Phenom 100**
The Phenom 100 is an unlikely competitor of the Pilatus, with its twinjet configuration and smaller fuselage. The price and operating cost of the airplanes are similar. However, with a greater payload and better short-field capabilities, the PC-12 NG allows its users to carry additional passengers and more stuff into more places than the Phenom 100 owner can.
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Beechcraft King Air 250**
With nearly the same volume, the King Air 250 is slightly shorter and narrower than its single-engine rival. It has the safety of two Pratt & Whitney PT6As, but the King Air’s 12-knot speed benefit increases the cost per nautical mile more than 50 percent above the Pilatus’. And the purchase price of the King Air is more than $1.4 million higher.
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Cessna Citation CJ2+**
The CJ2+ is powered by two Williams FJ44 engines, which help it beat out the PC-12 NG by 133 knots. The initial purchase price of the CJ2+ and its operating cost are significantly higher. Yet the occupants of the Pilatus enjoy much more leg- and headroom than the jet travelers, and the PC-12 NG can carry a few hundred pounds of additional cargo.
