There’s no mistaking a 2016 Pilatus PC-12 NG from earlier versions of the aircraft. The third iteration of this 22-year-old model sports a five-blade Hartzell prop with scimitar shaped blades made of black carbon fiber. It is more efficient at converting torque into thrust in all phases of flight than the aluminum Hartzell four-blade prop it replaces.
Short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft will be the latest addition to the Homeland Security Dept.'s air force for protecting the U.S. from terrorism and smuggling.
