Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG, which is part of the Oerlikon-Buhrle organisation, was established at Stans, Switzerland, in December 1939. First product of the company was a four/six-seat light transport designated Pilatus SB.2 Pelican, a braced high-wing monoplane with fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a 336kW Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior radial engine. The pilot and co-pilot/navigator were seated in a separate compartment forward of the wing leading edge, with a main cabin below the wing which could be arranged to accommodate two to four passengers according to layout. The Pelican, which was first flown during 1944 and failed to gain any commercial interest, spanned 15.50m and had a maximum speed of 250km/h.