Pilatus P-3

The Pilatus P-3 was a military training aircraft built by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland for primary and advanced training, including night flying, aerobatics and instrument flying. It was an all-metal low-wing aircraft with tandem seating and a retractable tricycle undercarriage, with provision for light practice bombs, rockets and a gun pod that were bought but never used. The first prototype flew on 3 September 1953, and after the military prototype beat a Beechcraft T-34 Mentor in evaluation the Swiss Air Force took 12 pre-series and then 60 production aircraft. It entered service in 1956 and trained pilots until 1983. Six civil-marked examples went to the Brazilian Navy. A P-3 prototype was converted into the first PC-7.