Pilatus P-4

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The Pilatus P-4 was a Swiss five-seat cabin monoplane designed and built by Pilatus.The monoplane had little sales success.

Design and development

The P-4 was not designed specifically as a passenger aircraft but rather as a versatile working aircraft. The aim was to build a robust aircraft with good slow-flying handling, requiring only short takeoff and landing runs and little maintenance.

The P-4 was a high-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. The aircraft's fuselage was of fabric-covered steel-tube construction; the wing, which was braced to the fuselage by steel V-struts, was of wooden construction.[1][2] It was powered by a Script error: No such module "convert". Lycoming GO-435 engine (later replaced by a Script error: No such module "convert". GO-435-C2a) driving a two-bladed variable-pitch propeller.[3] Its enclosed cabin could accommodate a pilot and four passengers, with the provision for carrying two stretchers, photographic equipment or crop spraying equipment. Alternative ski or float undercarriages could be fitted.[2]

The prototype P-4, aircraft registration HB-AET, took off for its maiden flight on 22 March 1948.[4] Although the aircraft was exhibited at the 1949 Paris Air Show, it did not enter production owing to a lack of production capacity because Pilatus were busy refurbishing the Swiss Air Force's P-51 Mustang fighters and later, license-building de Havilland Venom jet fighters.[2]

On 13 October 1957, the P-4 crashed in the Susten Pass region while on an exercise with the Swiss Air Rescue Service and was completely written off. Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. had always owned the P-4 until that time.

Specifications (P-4)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1951–52[1]

General characteristics

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References

Notes

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  1. a b Bridgman 1951, p. 190c.
  2. a b c Genève 1989, p. 5
  3. Genève 1989, pp. 5–6
  4. Genève 1989, p. 7

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Sources

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External links

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