PC9 Weapons Control and Sights

[Ted]

Does anybody know what sort of weapons control panel is fitted to the PC9's and how it works. Does it have a control box fitted as in the marchetti's where the pilot can select from rockets and guns? and what sort of sighting system is used. I have seen from pictures posted on this site what look to be blank panel covers fitted to the upper left side of the cockpit - is this where they are fitted?

[pilatus]

im not sure but i would hazard a guess that the pilot selects whichever weapon through the mfd's and doesnt have to change anything before take off as the PC9 carries both rocket pods and machine guns at the same time unlike the marchetti  which could only carry either rockets or machine guns at a time!but thats only an uneducated guess!

[Spook]

Would weapon selection be done by switches on throttle or stick (hotas like).On a related topic,are the aer corps PC9's equipped with drop tanks,I was reading an article about slovenia's PC9's and with drop tanks they do up to 7hr missions during PFP excersises,enough to make your eyes water.  

[Silver]

Quote (pilatus @ 25 Oct. 2005,08:37)

unlike the marchetti  which could only carry either rockets or machine guns at a time!

Are you sure about that ?
I'm certain I saw a pic of a Marchetti with a rocket pod under one wing, and a machine gun pod under the other?!

[Fouga]

I have seen that picture also Silver but maybe thats all it was just a PR picture...

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi all
The Pilatus, probably, has a weapons selection function so that individual rockets or multiple rockets may be fired; 1 rocket per trigger pull or several. Each pylon could be selected, depending on what it's carrying.One might even have to "tell" the computer what it's carrying on each pylon, first.The pylons might be plumbed for drop tanks or ferry tanks.The pylons would also have a "Salvo" or jettison function so as to allow the pilot to blow off the ordnance in an emergency.Remember also that the Pilatus will carry any NATO pod or ordnance that is within it's pylon's weight limits The Marchetti would never have flown with a pod mix like that because of the different pod functions and weights.
regards
GttC

[pilatus]

Quote (Silver @ 25 Oct. 2005,10:00)

Quote (pilatus @ 25 Oct. 2005,08:37) unlike the marchetti  which could only carry either rockets or machine guns at a time! Are you sure about that ? I'm certain I saw a pic of a Marchetti with a rocket pod under one wing, and a machine gun pod under the other?!

yip im sure!as GTTC pointed out about weights etc!you wouldnt want to fly an unbalanced aircraft!was that pic you saw an air2air shot?they were prob just playing around with different configs!it might have carriedit but wouldnt have carried it operationally which is what i should have said in the first post!