STC Awarded for Falcon 50 Engine Upgrade

Premier Aircraft received supplemental type certification of its engine upgrade program for the Falcon 50, designed to improve performance and fuel specifics. The East Alton, Ill. company–formed by Premier Air Center in East Alton and Yankee Pacific Aerospace, a Rye, N.H., aviation investment and business development company–launched the Falcon 50 Dash 4 program in May 2005, originally expecting to receive the STC one year ago.

The program converts the original Falcon 50 TFE731-3 engine to a TFE731-4 to provide the Falcon 50 Dash 4 with longer range, increased hot-and-high performance, better climb capability and higher cruise thrust than the basic aircraft, according to Premier Aircraft. In addition, the modified aircraft meets Stage 4 noise limitations and extends the MPI/CZI intervals.

“An incentive program of $50,000 [off the standard price] for early adopters is down to two slots,” Premier Aircraft president Jim Swehla told AIN. The price is $2.3 million for non-MSP aircraft. For an operator whose aircraft is on MSP (which is the majority of the fleet), pricing is “significantly reduced,” the company said. Loaner engines will be available to reduce downtime to “as little as 14 days.”