Sat, Mar 10, 2007
Stops In Iqaluit To Chill Out A Bit
While making its first transatlantic journey from Switzerland,
the prototype Next Generation PC-12 stopped at Iqaluit, Canada for
a series of cold weather trials, before arriving at Pilatus' North
American headquarters in Broomfield, CO.
"The entire transatlantic flight was great. All systems operated
perfectly and the aircraft completed its cold weather testing a day
early. During the cold weather trials in Canada, the new systems
performed exceptionally well and without any problems. The new
avionics and the displays in particular exceeded all our
expectations while experiencing extreme cold temperatures down to
temperatures of -10 oF and less", said Ulli Gehling, Director
Program Management.
Iqaluit, the regional capital of the Canadian Inuit province of
Nunavut, is a popular cold-weather test location for many aircraft
manufacturers, due to its extremely low temperatures, an 8,600 foot
runway and lack of airspace restrictions. The airport was operated
by the US Air Force until 1963, and today is the regional
airport.
Pilatus officials tell ANN the cold weather trials demonstrated
the new systems behavior under extreme cold temperatures. The tests
evaluated the performance of the electrical system, battery power
for engine start up, avionics system start up, and displays, and
verified their operation throughout the entire environmental
envelope.
Slated for certification at the end of 2007, the Next Generation
PC-12 features a number of improvements -- including a fully
integrated Honeywell Primus Apex avionics system, a new cockpit
designed by BMW Group DesignworksUSA, and a more powerful Pratt
& Whitney Canada PT6A engine. Pilatus reports the certification
program remains on track.
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