Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

Blackhawk Modifications announced at AirVenture on Monday that it has completed flight testing of its XP67A engine upgrade program for the King Air 350 and is initiating a new program to revitalize aging Cessna Caravans in partnership with Metal Innovations.

 


The “Caravan Reset Program” will address aging aircraft issues for Caravans with 20,000 hours' total time and at 5,000-hour intervals thereafter. It is coupled with a Blackhawk engine upgrade.&nbsp;“This program will allow Cessna Caravan operators to reset their aircraft to like-new standards for a fraction of the cost of a new airplane. Typical maintenance schedules for the Caravan are frequent and costly. Cessna maintenance inspection requirements significantly increase at 20,000 hours of total time, then again every 5,000 thereafter. These intensive inspections take hundreds of man hours to complete and can cost an operator hundreds of thousands of dollars in maintenance costs and lost revenue from aircraft downtime,” Blackhawk explained.

 


The “Reset” program includes a pending&nbsp; FAA-approved Metal Innovations Cessna 208 Special Inspection Document (SID) Reset STC along with the new 867-shp Blackhawk XP140 engine, the same PT6A-140 engine installed on the production Caravan EX model. The engine upgrade delivers a 28 percent increase in horsepower for takeoff, climb and cruise, while retaining the existing cowling, engine mount, and exhaust system.&nbsp;The upgrade includes a 325-amp starter generator that lowers start temperatures by 100 degrees F, a new Hartzell 106-inch propeller and Hawkeye DigiLog Engine gauges.&nbsp; 
 
	 
 
	Blackhawk is exhibiting a King Air 350 with its XP67A engine upgrade here at AirVenture and offering a $100,000 show special discount on orders placed for it at the show. Certification flight testing was completed at 15,000 pounds maximum takeoff weight and FAA approval is imminent. Foreign certification efforts will begin immediately after approval. Blackhawk CEO Jim Allmon said the upgrade makes the XP67A-equipped turboprop “the fastest King Air on the planet.” Blackhawk said that at FL280, ISA+ 20°C day, max cruise, 13,000 pounds, the XP67A upgrade delivers 332 ktas versus 292 ktas for a stock King Air 350. Under the same conditions, the XP67A climbs from sea level to FL350 in 18 minutes, versus 45 minutes for the stock King Air 350. The XP67A engine upgrade includes two factory-new Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada (P&amp;WC) PT6A-67A engines and new five-blade composite MT propellers and spinners.&nbsp;Training, support, and a five-year or 2,500-hour new-engine warranty are also included from P&amp;WC.

 


Allmon also announced that the company is equipping a King Air 350ER with the XP67A engine upgrade and is planning for certification this year at 16,500 pounds mtow. The final phase of the project will be to equip and certify a King Air 300 with the XP67A engine upgrade starting early next year.

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