Today at AirVenture 2014, Blackhawk Modifications Inc. announced the completion of its 500th new engine upgrade on a customer airplane as well as a new engine upgrade option for the Cessna 208A Caravan and 208B Grand Caravan. A new set of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-52 engines was installed as part of an overall upgrade and refurbishment program on a 1998 King Air 200 completed by Ballard Aviation of Newton, Kansas. The upgraded aircraft is on display at the Blackhawk exhibit at AirVenture.
Blackhawks newest Caravan engine upgrade option is a direct aftermarket replacement of the stock 600- or 675-HP engine with a PT6A-140 developing 867 HP-the same engine that is being offered in new Caravans. Blackhawk says owners can expect significant increase in climb performance, cruise speeds, takeoff performance and operations in adverse weather (icing) conditions. Deliveries will begin in the first quarter of 2015. Blackhawks senior vice president of sales and marketing, Bob Kromer, said that Blackhawks new engine upgrades provide like-new aircraft performance for half the cost of new.
