Pilatus PC-9M

Pilatus · Switzerland · first flew 1984 · light aircraft

A single-engine tandem-seat advanced turboprop trainer, the PC-9M is Pilatus's refined production standard of the widely exported PC-9.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × turboprop, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	10.14 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Stepped tandem bubble canopy
Enlarged dorsal fin fillet
Low tapered wing with hardpoints

Look for the stepped tandem canopy with a raised rear seat and the pronounced dorsal fin ahead of the tall vertical tail. The straight-edged, gently tapered low wing carries underwing stores pylons.

Specifications

The Pilatus PC-9M has a length of 10.14 m (33 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.13 m (33 ft).
Its maximum speed is 593 km/h (368 mph).
Typical crew: 2 (student and instructor).

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The PC-9 first flew in 1984 as a more powerful development of the earlier PC-7. The improved PC-9M standard arrived in the late 1990s, adding a larger dorsal fin, a redesigned cockpit and various aerodynamic refinements. It also formed the basis for the design that Pilatus and Raytheon developed into the US T-6 Texan II.

Variants

The baseline PC-9 spawned the PC-9M as the mature production model. Numerous customer-specific fits exist, and the airframe was heavily reworked into the Beechcraft T-6 family for North American service.

Where you'll see it

The type serves numerous air arms as an advanced and weapons trainer, and while the RAF selected the related Texan for its Military Flying Training System, the PC-9 lineage is familiar to UK observers through Pilatus's strong presence in European flight training.

Related aircraft

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