Pilatus Aircraft yesterday opened a new $15 million paint facility at its U.S. completions center in Broomfield, Colorado, to keep pace with rising demand for PC-24s and PC-12 NGXs. The 28,445-sq-ft facility features three separate booths to prep and paint PC-24s and PC-12 NGXs from base to finish.

A preparation and detail booth will be used to prepare aircraft for paint, while also facilitating detailing, touch-ups, and silkscreen printing of placards. The crossdraft booth will serve as the primary booth for base-to-finish aircraft painting. Finally, the downdraft booth is for green-to-finish painting, as well as intricate base-to-finish paint schemes.

Each booth is also equipped with a 3D laser projector, along with an advanced environmental control system, air-sealed doors, and filtration system. “Efficiency, innovation, and environmental impact were the guiding principles during the design phase,” said Thomas Bosshard, the president and CEO of Pilatus U.S. subsidiary Pilatus Business Aircraft. 

With production and personnel at capacity, Pilatus said the paint facility will be able to complete up to 100 aircraft annually, with the first aircraft painted at the facility scheduled to be delivered as early as this month.