Pilatus SB-5

The Pilatus SB-5 was a civil utility aircraft developed by the newly formed Pilatus Aircraft during World War II.

SB-5
A model of the proposed SB-5
Role Civil utility aircraft
National origin Switzerland
Manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft
Developed from Pilatus SB-2 Pelican

Design and development

In the winter of 1941, the construction of the Pilatus SB-2 Pelican began, designed as a low-speed aircraft with STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) performance, as well as very good climbing performance required for use in narrow alpine valleys. The Pilatus SB-5 was a project for an enlarged version of the Pilatus SB-2,[1] but with the end of WWII the market for light utility tansports disappeared so Pilatus abandoned the SB-5 before construction of a prototype began.

The SB-5 was a single-engine high wing monoplane with a fixed nosewheel with a light-alloy semi-monocoque fuselage shell, accommodating 9-10 passengers in 3 rows of three, with an optional passenger in the co-pilot seat. Power was to have been supplied by a Wright Cyclone driving an Escher-Wyss constant-speed reversible pitch 3-bladed propeller.

Specifications (SB-5)

Data from

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1-2
  • Capacity: 9-10
  • Wingspan: 22 m (72 ft 2 in)
  • Wing area: 55 m2 (590 sq ft)
  • Max takeoff weight: 5,000 kg (11,023 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 750–890 kW (1,000–1,200 hp)
  • Propellers: 3-bladed Escher-Wyss constant-speed reversible-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn)

References
  1. Gross, Kuno (2019). Pilatus SB-2 Pelican Das Schweizer Bergflugzeug 1938–1949 (in German) (1. Auflage ed.). Studienbüro für Spezialflugzeuge. ISBN 978-3-7494-3640-8.

Further reading
  • Eichenberger, Roland (1989). Pilatus Flugzeuge: 1939–1989 (in German). Stans: Pilatus Flugzeugwerke.
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