In 1959 the Swiss company Pilatus Aircraft built a single-engined light utility aircraft, the PC-6 Porter, with a Lycoming GSO-480 340 h.p. engine. The aircraft was built in relatively small quantities (72 units), but its construction, despite its basic nature, had great potential for a variety of tasks. Two years later there appeared the PC-6A Turbo Porter with a 520 h.p. Turbomeca Astazou engine which was better than its predecessor in all major performance indicators. Later, another engine was installed in the aircraft - the 550 hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A. Now there were individual pilot doors on both sides of the fuselage in the PC-6B version, in addition to sliding side doors, which facilitated departure from the airport or evacuation of the cockpit in the air in case of emergency. As in the PC-6A, the nose displayed a characteristic straight and elongated shape. In the modified PC-6/B2-H2 a 680 horsepower engine was installed, which greatly improved the aircraft's capabilities.
The PC-6 turboprop became popular among pilots very quickly, and it began to sell well in Switzerland and was exported to many other countries. For a long period of time it was used by the Air Forces of many countries on different continents - from European Austria to distant Australia. But even the longest-living and most successful aircraft designs eventually end their service lives, and it is no wonder that in the mid 1990's the PC-6 was finally taken out of military service everywhere. Even after working hard for so long in Air Force service, these airplanes had a chance for a second life. So it was with the PC-6 - a large number of private enthusiasts from different corners of the world dreamed of acquiring this airplane with excellent performance and capability for civil use.
During the military service of the PC-6 there were some attempts to convert it from wheeled to floatplane configuration, allowing it to land on water surfaces. However, this adaptation had no appeal for the military in any of the countries where the PC-6 was used. Nevertheless, some civil PC-6's were fitted with floats and continued to be used in regions with extensive areas of lakes and rivers at the beginning of the Twenty-First Century.
- Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter Floatplane, N908PL, belonged to San Jose Sharks Team, Costa Rica, 2004-2005.
Performances:
- Span: 15.87 meters
- Length: 10.9 meters
- Height: 3.2 meters
- Wing area: 30.15 square meters
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27
- Power: 1 x 680 kW
- Maximum speed: 231 km/h
- Combat cruising speed: 213 km/h
- Range: 7,620 kilometers
- Crew: 1
- Loading: 7 passengers