Blackhawk Upgrade Targets Faster Seaplane Operations

The Blackhawk Group and Seair Seaplanes are nearing completion of the latter’s first Cessna Caravan upgraded with the Blackhawk XP140 Engine+ and a Yukon four-blade propeller, a combination intended to deliver the fastest harbor-to-harbor service in the region. The upgraded Caravan is scheduled to enter service on Seair’s newly expanded Victoria-to-Vancouver Harbour route, with the companies citing gains in speed, climb performance, and overall capability for coastal operations. 

According to Blackhawk, the XP140 engine delivers 28% more shaft horsepower, a 35% improvement in climb rate, and a 13% increase in cruise speed, equating to about 21 knots. Combined with the Yukon propeller, the upgrade reduces takeoff distances and improves performance over water and short-runway environments, cutting harbor-to-harbor travel time by about five minutes to 25 minutes.

The aircraft is the first of at least three Seair Caravans planned for upgrade as part of a broader fleet modernization program, the companies said. Seair, founded in 1982, operates seven Caravan floatplanes and describes itself as the world’s largest operator of the type, serving destinations including Victoria’s Inner Harbour, Vancouver Harbour, Vancouver Airport’s South Terminal, Nanaimo, and the Southern Gulf Islands.