You tell me why you think it will only have an 800 mile range?

My PC12 has a full fuel payload of 1200Lbs and hold 407 gallons of fuel (2700Lbs). My plane has 6.5 hours of endurance with IFR reserves. So you could easily add 100 gallons of fuel to the current design and just "burn more fuel". Not a big deal.

I never fly with full fuel unless I'm heading out West. Atlanta to Miami for example only uses 900 Lbs. I'm taking off with less than half tanks. Same with Chicago and NYC.

At FL300 my plane burns 300pph. Certify the new design to FL350 and add more HP and you'd probably be right back at 300pph.

It's like you want it to be more difficult than it is.

You tell me why you think it will only have an 800 mile range?

My PC12 has a full fuel payload of 1200Lbs and hold 407 gallons of fuel (2700Lbs). My plane has 6.5 hours of endurance with IFR reserves. So you could easily add 100 gallons of fuel to the current design and just "burn more fuel". Not a big deal.

I never fly with full fuel unless I'm heading out West. Atlanta to Miami for example only uses 900 Lbs. I'm taking off with less than half tanks. Same with Chicago and NYC.

It's like you want it to be more difficult than it is.

Oh that's easy. The empty slot on the PowerPoint deck from the 10:30am conference call.

Actually, I think it is a product void in their lineup, though something that is available in the market with other brands.

I think the SETP market is basically today’s version of the pressurized piston twin market. Frequently owner operated, traveling machine. To jump from a Bonanza to a Citation is a big jump. The SETP market provides a step in between (not to mention better small airport capability than a light jet).

I asked the Textron salesman to sell me the Denali over the NG.

“285kts, a little wider, a pinch longer, Garmin, more efficient”

Nice guys, but it didn’t sound like he had much to work with other than Garmin. I pushed him on speed and he said 285 is it. So thats the official statement at the moment.

Fadec engine,
4000 hrs tbo,
Flushing Lav,

It will be interesting to see what will they will have for scheduled maintenance timed items.

didn’t they also advertise No hot section inspection?

In the early years, Pilatus sold 80% of new PC12s to owner pilots. Now, they only sell about 20% to owner pilots and the rest go to fleet operators or commercial operators. I suspect the increase in prices are one of the reasons for the decrease of owner pilots buying the new ones. I’m wondering if the Denali will have the same buyer profile. I can see where the Garmin 3000 would attract more owner pilots, but the owner pilot market doesn’t seem that large for a 5m SETP anyway.

I’m guessing fleet operators put little weight in the avionics package or max cruise speed for the most part. They care more about operating cost and maintenance intervals.

Everything new is Garmin nowadays..... even a lot of the bigger jets.

So... 285kts, a little wider, a pinch longer, Garmin, lower fuel burn, flushing lav, longer tbo, fadec...

Throw in 500k cheaper and will do some damage to Pilatus market share for sure.

Agreed. But I also think they’ve got something up their sleeve. That or they don’t know the first thing about marketing.

Question: Would a Cessna SETP have access to more authorized service centers than Pilates?

For many years I worked for companies that had biz jets, and selecting one that had convenient access to authorized maintenance facilities was a factor that certainly might tip the decision one way or the other between similar candidates.

Definitely having a SC close by for an in warranty aircraft tips the scales. Plus Pilatus from what I hear really wants to keep control of their aircraft, so getting work done other places may not be possible. Fortunately SETP's usually require very little work between annuals so is less of an issue than a piston. The Pilatus SC network is pretty robust in the US though.

https://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/data/document/PC-12_Service_Center_List.pdf

This is the exact reason I shy away from the Phenom. Closest Phenom service center is Greensboro, NC. CJ and PC24 can be serviced at my home field.

I would never buy an airplane I had to fly someone to get service.

Product development. It's that simple. Increase customer loyalty and attract new customers.

If a customer owns a few Citations a few Cessna twins and a Pilatus... Why not figure out a way get them to move away from the Pilatus? Does is have to be better than the Pilatus? No, not in my opinion, sometimes customers want to simply deal with one service center for maintenance, it may be hassle to have multiple aircraft that have to be flown to different service centers, etc. It provides simplification, convenience, and that saves money too.

Like Jason said with the Phenom. Service center is convenient. I know the Citation guys at my field love the Cessna service and think it's tough to move away from it for more hassle, and possibly inferior service experience.

This is the same reason insurance companies offer home, life, auto, boat, motorcycle, RV, etc. Customers get to pay one bill.