Pilatus P-3

1953

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Pilatus P-3

The undoubted success of the P-2 led to development of a new general-purpose trainer under the designation Pilatus P-3, the prototype of which was flown for the first time on 3 September 1953. Intended for use as both a primary and advanced trainer, the P-3 is of cantilever low-wing monoplane configuration and differs from its predecessor by being of all-rnetal construction. It has retractable tricycle landing gear, but as the P-3 was required by the Swiss air force for 'all-through' training, from the primary stage to the point of passing on to the de Havil-land Vampire jet trainer, a lower-powered engine was adopted, the Avco Lycoming GO-435-C2A. Like the P-2 that preceded it into service, the P-3 has similar standards of equipment or weapons for comprehensive pilot training by day or night. A total of 72 P-3s was built for the Swiss air force, and in 1993 a handful of these remain in service; a small number was also supplied to Brazil, but these have since been superseded by trainers of indigenous design and construction.

Specification 
 MODELP-3
 CREW2
 ENGINE1 x Avco Lycoming GO-435-C2A, 194kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight1500 kg3307 lb
  Loaded weight1110 kg2447 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan10.4 m34 ft 1 in
  Length8.75 m29 ft 8 in
  Height3.05 m10 ft 0 in
  Wing area16.5 m2177.60 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed310 km/h193 mph
  Ceiling5500 m18050 ft
  Range750 km466 miles

Comments
John R Osbourn, e-mail, 04.07.2012 23:12

How many of these are still flying today?

reply

Jerry Jeffers, e-mail, 16.04.2011 21:21

I own P-3 842.It now has a GO-480 engine with equal length exhaust and fuel injection,producing approx.305 horsepower which gives me a cruising speed of 150Kts.It also has Garmin avionics and an STEC 60-2 autopilot.

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Hans R. Egli, e-mail, 18.01.2011 22:38

In 1963 I worked at Pilatus Air Service in Zurich. We rebuilt the P-3 HB-HON from a Lycoming engine with an AirResarch turbine, which was to become the Testbed for the later PC-7 and PC-9 developments.

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jean-rene cadorel, e-mail, 03.09.2008 10:45

3 of these were bought by Jacques Lacombe, brought to Mascouche Airport (in Quebec, Canada)in crates, reassembled and flown for a while before being sold to local canadian pilots.

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