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New Pilatus jet - PC-24

It looks like most of the dirt stays behind the aircraft, in the video.

If you did this at Calvi



with the PC24 taxiing behind you, he would get the engines full of sand. And same if it was windy and there was a lot of airborne sand. In the military ops in the recent desert wars, they found the helicopter engines lasted only a short time, despite having filters.

So, I suspect, it is like the old argument about operating any plane from grass or dirt. It depends on the exact detail of the situation, and it is likely to translate to higher maintenance, but if you are just a hired pilot, or renting it, you won’t be paying the bills

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Yes, so true. How many aircraft have we heard the salesman say – oh of course Sir, no problem operating from grass / gravel. Cirrus is a very good example. To be fair you can, but if you dont want to crack the nose wheel or destroy the prop. you need to have good technique and understanding of the issues. I think by their nature the problem with grass and unmade strips is the surface is infinitely variable. The best guide, cetainly with respect to any aircraft regularly hired, is whether the hire company allows hirers to visit unmade strips. If they dont, it is a pretty good indication that in the average pilots hands it will lead to expensive maintenace issues.

Peter wrote:

and it is likely to translate to higher maintenance

hahaha, Did you notice the comment on YT about Columbia drug cartel?

I don’t suppose there is much evidence that stupidity is infectious but it is better to play safe anyway and not read YT comments

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

@chflyer
Wikipedia gives a full-time payload of 1135 kg.

I agree that it looks like a favourite for the ultimate personal light jet. Will consider it if I win the EuroJackpot tonight

Low-hours pilot
EDVM Hildesheim, Germany

You could get “gravel kits” for Citations about 40 years ago, and they could land on dirt strips. Not many people wanted to do that and Cessna dropped the idea on later models

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

Interesting comment about Citations and the lack of popularity of the gravel kit.

I guess owners or charteres of this type of aircraft probably dont want / need to go into unpaved strips (very often).

Mind you I dont know whether this is true of all markets. For example, in Australia it never ceases to amaze me how many excellent runways are unmade. However, usually there is little or nothing in the immediate vicinity so unless it is a wealthy party going Roo hunting or sport fishing they are probably not interested in landing there.

In America pretty much anywhere you want to go has a pristine hard runway.

In England pretty much everywhere you want to go (outside the major cities) has lovely grass strips but of course they still arent long enough.

Mind you I would love to see the reaction of the local Colonel (retired) when one of these departs over his croquet lawn.

Also for underslung engines…



Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

It looks like the flaps are acting as mud/stone guards.

ESMK, Sweden

I can’t see anyone except the factory doing this. One stone the size of a pea through the engine could cost $300K.

We had an ignitor break on a Williams FJ44. Nobody knew when it happened, it was found at a routine inspection. If resulted in an entire new hot section, several hundred thousand (covered by the engine programme)

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)
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