Page 53 - Volume 16 Number 10

EN ROUTEHawker Beechcraft Services SchedulingBlackhawk Engine Upgrades on Pro Line O21-Equipped King Air 200 Aircraftn August 15, 2012, Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support announced that its factory- owned Hawker Beechcraft Services (HBS)facilities are taking orders and scheduling Blackhawk engine upgrades on Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21-equipped King Air 200 aircraft. This installation will replace the original Pratt & Whitney PT6A-41 or -42 engines with factory-new PT6A-52 engines, complete with a new-engine warranty (2,500 hours/5 years coverage on primary parts).Blackhawk Modifications, the world’s leading turboprop aircraft engine upgrade company, expects certification of the engine upgrade on Pro Line 21-equipped aircraft in the fourth quarter of this year.“More than two hundred Blackhawk King Air engine upgrades have been completed worldwide, making it the most successful King Air engine upgrade program by far,” said Christi Tannahill, Hawker Beechcraft senior vice president, Global Customer Support. “customers have been asking for an upgrade solution for their Pro Line 21-equipped aircraft and we’re happy to again team with Blackhawk Modifications. The Blackhawk upgrade provides proven elevated performance levels and safety in a simple bolt-on package requiring minimal airframe modification for little more than the cost of an overhaul.”The new Blackhawk XP52 engine, which powers the current production King Air 250 model, has an efficient design that boosts maximum cruise speeds up to 310+ KTAS while normal cruise speeds touch 300 KTAS. The engine will achieve full takeoff power up to ISA+46 and maintain its 850 SHP rating upwards of FL190 before power slopes off. The maximum operating temperature limitation has been increased to 820°C safely allowing the engines to produce +275 more thermodynamic horsepower than the PT6A-42 engine on an ISA day. The improved performance is the result of incorporating a more capable and larger compressor section that is a derivative of the King Air 300s PT6A-60A engine.“Blackhawk is proud to partner with Hawker Beechcraft on improving the King Air B200 by pursuing the STC approval to install our PT6A-52 engine upgrade on Collins Pro Line 21 equipped King Airs,” said Jim Allmon, CEO, Blackhawk Modification. “Although we are already approved on non-Pro Line 21 King Airs, this project is the result of many requests from King Air B200 owners who wanted to enjoy the same performance benefits as the King Air B200GT. •Customers can contact their local HBS facility for more information or to schedule an installation. T&TOCTOBER 2012TWIN & TURBINE • 51