Final assembly work on
the first PC-24 customer aircraft is proceeding at a swift pace -
with the fuselage and wings of the first series-built aircraft
having been joined together at Pilatus' Stans, Switzerland facility
yesterday (July 12th).
Series production is
being accelerated continuously to ensure that prompt deliveries of
first customer aircraft can go ahead immediately after
certification.
This operation,
referred to as a 'marriage', requires the highest degree of
concentration from the Pilatus builders. The process of attaching
the wings to the fuselage demands accuracy to within a hundredth of
a millimeter. Not to mention that the connection has to be solid
enough to last for a 'business jet lifetime'. This extremely
important stage sees technicians join the 16.8 metre fuselage to the
wings, spanning 17 metres. The 'marriage' is followed by the cabin
installation and commissioning and testing of the aircraft systems.
George
Antoniadis, President and
CEO of PlaneSense - the first customer for the aircraft - travelled
from the USA especially for the marriage and expressed his pleasure:
“We are excited to witness the fuselage-wing mating of the first
production PC-24. We are proud to see the PC-24 sporting the
PlaneSense colors, being the culmination of years of preparation.
Its large cabin and exceptionally versatile performance are features
greatly anticipated by our fractional owners. Additionally, its
revolutionary design and manufacturing pedigree will set it apart in
day to day operations, allowing PlaneSense® to further exceed our
commitment to operational excellence and superior service.”
André
Zimmermann, VP PC-24 at
Pilatus, added: "I am extremely pleased that today we successfully
completed the fuselage to wing marriage of the first PC-24 for
customer delivery. This is another very important and significant
milestone in the PC-24's development programme. We are now looking
forward with great anticipation and tremendous pride to the very
first customer handover later this year when PlaneSense will take
delivery of their PC-24 and we witness the entry into service of our
Super Versatile Jet.“
The very first PC-24
will go to the American fractional aircraft ownership business
immediately after certification, scheduled during the 4th quarter of
2017. PlaneSense currently operates 34 PC-12s in the USA. It will
deploy six PC-24s in the future, using the Super Versatile Jet to
expand our offering and strengthen our market presence even further.
The PC-24 is the
first business jet worldwide designed to take off and land on very
short runways, or unpaved runways, and to come with a cargo door as
standard. It also boasts an extremely spacious cabin whose interior
can easily be adapted to personal requirements. The outstanding
flexibility of the PC-24 opens the door on an enviable spectrum of
possibilities - whether as a business jet, ambulance aircraft or for
other special missions. All this makes it a Super Versatile Jet, an
aircraft designed to fulfil a wide variety of individual mission
profiles. |