Nesterov Aviation, an authorised sales and service centre for Pilatus in Russia and the CIS, has handed over two Pilatus PC-12 aircraft to Russian customers in the second quarter of 2021.

One of these was the latest variant, the PC-12 NGX, while the second was a PC-12 NG, one of the last PC-12 NGs to roll off the Pilatus assembly line in Stans, Switzerland. Delivered in an unusual black red livery, the PC-12 NG will be the second PC-12 to be registered in the Krasnodar region. 10 aircraft of this type are currently in operation in Russia and the CIS.

According to Alexey Mordvintsev, sales director of Nesterov Aviation, the PC-12 NGX represents the third major stage in the evolution of the PC-12 and includes the first electronic propeller and engine control system on a turboprop aircraft. The engine has received a new operating mode, Low Speed ​​Prop, which reduces engine noise in the cabin, due to a slight decrease in speed at the flight level. The changes also affect the fuel system; now the fuel, before entering the engine, is heated by the oil from the engine and the aircraft no longer requires additives.

The Pratt & Whitney PT6E-67XP engine also features a fully integrated autothrottle, which reduces pilot workload, improves efficiency and increases the time between overhauls by 43 per cent. Pilatus has added additional enhancements to the PC-12 NGX, including larger windows, completely new passenger seats and noise reduction through a new cabin air distribution system.