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IRIS Pilatus PC-21...


petermcleland

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I took some pictures of this very powerful aeroplane today:-

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Yakutat take-off ...

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...with a...

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...retraction roll.

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Fast run back...

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...over...

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...the airport.

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Over Turf Green in the McLeland Field complex now...

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...at the Ranch that I am making from the ORBX Library.

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On down the ravine now...

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...approaching the closed end and...

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...pushing up to...

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...escape.

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Back over the Ranch and...

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...turning hard to reduce speed for the approach to...

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...land at base...

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down the taxiway. BTW...You need airbrakes to land this aeroplane!

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Taxying past the beach hut.

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Parked as an Alaskan 737 taxies out.

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Parked.

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Parked and...

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...about to climb out.

Thanks for looking :)

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Can you comment a little on the aircrafts systems and overall cockpit visuals and the impression it leaves flying it?

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Can you comment a little on the aircrafts systems and overall cockpit visuals and the impression it leaves flying it?

Well there is a 142 page main handbook plus several other docs to read and the system is very modern and has a steep learning curve. Practically all the systems seem to be simulated but it would take a long time to learn how to properly exploit these systems. The aircraft is resource hungry and you can expect frame rates of a about half as many as you would get with say the C206G Amphibian that I am using in P3D at the moment. This means that in ORBX scenery you would have to pull some sliders back to get practical frame rates for handling. You also need a pretty powerful computer...I can't use this aircraft at ORBX's Cardiff without running out of memory.

The aircraft is very advanced and here is a small quote from the handbook to give you an idea of its capabilities:-

The PC-21 has better aerodynamic performance than any other turboprop trainer on the market.

It is also supported by a more powerful, flexible and integrated training system than any other jet

or turboprop trainer but still has life-cycle support costs equal to current turboprop benchmarks.

The PC-21 is as benign and easy to fly for the ab initio student as it is challenging and satisfying for

the advanced pilot preparing for the front line.

Equipped with a pressurised cockpit, air-conditioning, an anti-g system and on-board oxygen

generation, the PC-21 provides a comfortable modern training environment.

The 1600 SHP Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68B engine and five-blade graphite propeller push the speed

and climb rate of the PC-21 into an area that was, until now, exclusively jet territory.

A digital power management system and automatic yaw compensation make the PC-21 easy to

fly in the circuit, while still providing the performance required for advanced training.

The capabilities of the PC-21 make it ideally suited to a very wide training envelope. It can be

used from day one in the training system eliminating the need for an elementary flying training

fleet but also bridges the performance gap between traditional turboprop trainers and expensive

lead-in fighters. The PC-21 therefore provides significant advantages over traditional turboprops

and jet trainers.

The PC-21 is capable of sustained low-level speeds in excess of 320 knots; hydraulically-assisted

ailerons and roll spoilers can produce fighter-like rates of roll in excess of 200 degrees per second.

It is therefore possible to download more training from fighter lead-in trainers to the PC-21 than to

any other turboprop trainer in the world.

The PC-21 is the only training aircraft in its class actually designed in the 21st century. The

technology used in the PC-21 is optimised to provide the most flexible training system in the world.

The combination of a modern, inherently efficient aircraft, with an avionics system that can

address current and future training demands enables an air force to respond to ever changing

front-line requirements despite increasing pressure on training budgets.

The PC-21 avionics system is a Pilatus design and there is no reliance on third-party integrators or

exposure to state controls. Pilatus has used modern avionics standards and an open-system

architecture to allow training system designers much greater scope for innovation, adaptation

and change. Upgrades are not reliant on third-party licences and are cost effective over the

product life cycle.

I have only flown this simulated model once and am therefore not really qualified to say much else, but I will do some more flying with it, but probably not the whole "conversion course" :)

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