Pilatus P.3

Flight Journal, Oct 2002 by Jones, Geoffrey P

FLYBYS

The Swiss aviation industry is not the world's largest or most prolific, but it has produced many excellent and unique aircraft. The well-known Pilatus Flugzeugwerke A.G. is Switzerland's only aircraft manufacturer, and it was established by the proprietors of Oerlikon Buehrle on December 16, 1939.

Its Pilatus P.3 tandem-seat trainer first flew on September 3, 1953, and 80 were built for the Swiss Air Force. One found its way to Florida and is the featured aircraft flown from the Spruce Creek Fly-In Community by retired British Airways general manager of overseas marketing Mike Keemar.

The Pilatus P.3 is of all-metal construction and has a retractable tricycle undercarriage. After its initial flight, 18 preproduction aircraft had been constructed by August 1954. These were fitted with 240hp Lycoming GO-- 435 C2 engines. Pilatus hoped for a large order from the USAF and the U.S. Navy, which were looking for T-6 replacements. U.S. manufacturer Beechcraft, however, was awarded the contract for its T-34.

Meanwhile, the Swiss Air Force competitively evaluated several designs from other countries; these included the Beech T-34 Mentor. It eventually selected the P.3 as its standard trainer and ordered a series of 50. They had the 260hp Lycoming GO-435 C2A six-cylinder, air-cooled engine that gave them a 192mph maximum sea-level speed, 156mph at economic cruise and a 1,400fpm sea-level climb rate. With a 2,447-pound empty weight, the P.3 was about 300 pounds heavier than the Mentor, yet it could outperform this American rival.

When Pilatus first conceived a turbine-powered trainer-the PC-7-it was based on the P.3 and was initially designated the "P-3B." Equipped with a 560shp Pratt & Whitney PT6A-25 turboprop, it was first flown at Stans, Switzerland on April 12, 1966. Most of the 450 PC-7s built were used as military trainers.

In 1981, the Swiss Air Force auctioned off its surplus P.3s, and most went to civilians at Einsatz. Mike bought his in June 2001, and it is one of an estimated 30 now with non-military owners in the U.S.; the rest are in Europe.

During 2000 and 2001, its previous owner had it stripped inside and out and installed new wiring, radios, instruments, avionics and a P.7 canopy; it was also fitted with a custom-built Lycoming IGO-480 engine. A U.S. 20-- gallon auxiliary fuel tank was added to increase range for cross-county flights (four hours without reserves) and so was a smoke-system (for airshow work).

Compared with its U.S. rival, the T-34, the P.3's cockpit is very roomy. There's plenty of shoulder room and leg room and all the panel space you could want for an instrument fit such as Mike's. According to Mike, it's "built solidly" and has a 270-knot Vne (never exceed speed), and in takeoff, cruise and maneuvering, it can match its U.S.-built rival. Best of all is its price-about two-thirds that of an equivalent T-34! -Geoffrey P. Jones