[quote="patrick dirksen" post_id=978657 time=1603657380 user_id=158]
OK, not a sighting from 2020, but as this is the current thread, this seems the most logical place to ask. In May 2018 we visited Buochs, and in the hangar on the airfield a primer fuselage was seen with c/n 158. We thought it was a PC-21 fuselage, but the number is very odd. It was out of sequence (the Aussies and French were being built, with 300-series connumbers), plus 158 is supposed to be Saudi AF 904.
Anybody who knows more about this fuselage? A replacement, or something else?
Here's hoping....
[/quote]
Hi Patrick,
Just a tale, no answer sorry
There was a Saudi (177/2201) back in the factory in 2017 until mid-2018, so that is not entirely impossible albeit strange.
If it was a PC-7-II/PC-9 fuselage, it is also strange as that belongs to Indian P166(c/n 755) delivered 3 July 2015.
Also, if an aircraft gets 'repaired' Pilatus tends to simply use a completely new fuselage (with a new / current fuselage number).
Also, that run of PC-7-II fuselages ended at 168.
In 2015 they started with new separate 100-108 range on PC-7-II /PC-9 fuselages:
100-104 were used in the Omani program
105-108 were used for 4 Malaysian ones
Later in 2015, again they started a new 100-108 range
The second 100-108 range was for the 9 Jordanians, the first three were already marked for Jordan when the deal was changed to PC-21 in 2016. Those fuselages disappeared, so nowhere near 158 either, but maybe a '108' surfaced and was cleaned before going to the maintenance side to 'help' modernise another PC-7 or PC-9?
rgds
Erwin