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Five Hot Business Aircraft Upgrades for 2019 Airframes, powerplants, avionics or cabin mods: Where will owners and operators put their discretionary dollars in aftermarket upgrades this year? Trevor West highlights the demand forecast for 2019 from five major MROs and upgrade specialists…
Who: Blackhawk Modifications What: XP67A for the King Air 350
fastest-growing program in Blackhawk’s 20-year history.
The XP67A upgrade for the Beechcraft King Air 350 replaces the two standard Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A engines with -67As, providing a 24% boost in horsepower that delivers “jet-like speeds, twice the payload, one-third the operating cost, and access to more airports than jets,” according to Edwin Black, Sr. VP, Sales and Marketing. Approved for aircraft with Garmin G1000Nxi and Collins Pro Line 21 flight decks, the top cruise speed of more than 340kts. gets the headlines, but “Pilots are more impressed with the climb,” Black adds. “Most pilots are filing for 4,000 feet higher (FL320 rather than 280) and getting there ten minutes faster.” The five-bladed MT composite propellers included in the upgrade reduce weight and have no minimum ground rpm limitations, allowing quieter ground operations. Since certification in 2017 some 30 installations have been completed, making this the
Cost: The installed price with new propeller assemblies and all hardware is $1.787m. Original engines receive a $70 per hour credit for remaining TBO.
94 ❘ Vol 23 Issue 3 2019 ❘ AVBUYER MAGAZINE
Downtime: About two weeks. The PT6A-67A is two inches longer than the -60A, but the extra length is accommodated by an extended propeller spinner, so no engine cowl modifications are needed. Slot availability: Installations are performed by a network of dealers, providing ample space, but the supply of -67A motors is limited. Blackhawk, a member of Pratt & Whitney’s CEP (Converter Exchange Program) group, places its orders with the Canadian engine OEM at the beginning of each year, and ordered 26 ship sets for 2019. Purchase agreements for eight are signed. “That puts us down to 18,” Black highlights.
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