Roden 445 Pilatus PC-6 B2/H4 Turbo Porter Floatplane 1:48

In 1959 the Swiss company Pilatus Aircraft built a single-engined light utility aircraft, the PC-6 Porter, with a Lycoming GSO-480 340 h.p. engine. The aircraft was built in relatively small quantities (72 units), but its construction, despite its basic nature, had great potential for a variety of tasks. Two years later there appeared the PC-6A Turbo Porter with a 520 h.p. Turbomeca Astazou engine which was better than its predecessor in all major performance indicators. Later, another engine was installed in the aircraft - the 550 hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A. Now there were individual pilot doors on both sides of the fuselage in the PC-6B version, in addition to sliding side doors, which facilitated departure from the airport or evacuation of the cockpit in the air in case of emergency. As in the PC-6A, the nose displayed a characteristic straight and elongated shape. In the modified PC-6/B2-H2 a 680 horsepower engine was installed, which greatly improved the aircraft's capabilities.

The PC-6 turboprop became popular among pilots very quickly, and it began to sell well in Switzerland and was exported to many other countries. For a long period of time it was used by the Air Forces of many countries on different continents - from European Austria to distant Australia. But even the longest-living and most successful aircraft designs eventually end their service lives, and it is no wonder that in the mid 1990's the PC-6 was finally taken out of military service everywhere. Even after working hard for so long in Air Force service, these airplanes had a chance for a second life. So it was with the PC-6 - a large number of private enthusiasts from different corners of the world dreamed of acquiring this airplane with excellent performance and capability for civil use.