Pilatus P-2
| Pilatus P-2 | |
|---|---|
|
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| Type: | two-seat school / training aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
April 27, 1945 |
The Pilatus P-2 is a two-seat training aircraft designed as a cantilever low- wing aircraft . Some components such as the chassis come from the Bf 109 .
history
Prehistory and prototype
Towards the end of the Second World War , Pilatus tried to obtain the license rights for the Italian SAI 7 or the German Arado 96B , but both could not be realized. As a result, it was decided to develop and build a training aircraft, the P-2. The preliminary draft was submitted to the Swiss Air Force in 1942, which was enthusiastic about the project, as their own training aircraft were already suffering from obsolescence.
Development of the prototype of the P-2 began towards the end of 1943, and the type first took to the air on April 27, 1945. The P-2 was then tested by the air force and series production was applied for. The first prototype is exhibited today on the Pilatus factory premises.
Series production
| Dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| length | 9.02 m | |
| span | 11.00 m | |
| height | 2.70 m | |
| Wing | 17.00 m² | |
| Weight | ||
| Empty weight | 1380 kg | |
| Maximum starting load | 1970 kg | |
| Engine | ||
| Engine |
Argus As 410 -A2 |
|
| power |
347 kW (465 hp) |
|
| Services | ||
| Cruising speed | 320 km / h | |
| Max. speed | 600 km / h | |
| Climb performance | 450 m / min | |
| Service ceiling | 6600 m | |
| Range | 560 km | |
In the following years a total of 54 machines were manufactured, all of which were delivered to the Swiss air force. After their retirement in 1981, many of them found their way into the warbird scene. In numerous films the machine played the role of a fighter plane from the Second World War, mostly in the colors of the German Air Force . She made her most famous appearance in Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade in 1989.
construction
The P-2 is a two-seater cantilever low wing aircraft . The fuselage is made in a subdivided half-shell design and is firmly connected to the tail unit . The wings consist of a wooden structure with plywood planking. There are also three fuel tanks with a total capacity of 240 liters integrated. All oars are covered with fabric.
Armament
The version P-2.06 (matriculations U-102 to U-128, U-132 to U-157) had a machine gun built into the fuselage - with a trajectory through the propeller circle - and two bomb racks for three practice or fragment bombs each.
See also
literature
- Eichenberger, Roland: Pilatus aircraft 1939–1989 . Pilatus Flugzeugwerke, Stans 1989.
