Valdor Aircraft, an MRO provider at Quebec’s Val-d’Or Airport in the province’s Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, has received Transport Canada supplemental type certificate (STC) approval to re-engine de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beavers with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-34, along with other modifications.
The rugged single-engine airplane—which first flew in 1947—still sees extensive use and has outlived its original radial engines in most cases, leading Valdor to develop the STC that replaces the powerplant with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turboprop.
Intended for the Mark 1 Beaver, the package also includes BX wings manufactured by Valdor at its Val-d’Or facility; 106-inch, three-blade, reversible Hartzell propeller with full feathering, start locks, and spinner kit; propeller and overspeed governor; MVP-50T engine monitoring; lightweight and fire-resistant carbon fiber cowling; a custom heavy-duty engine mount; electrically actuated inertial particle separator and ice bypass; and a 200-amp Ametek starter generator and generator control unit.
The BX Turbo Beaver package, which costs $1.18 million, also features a redesigned fuel system, new bleed air cabin heat, custom stainless steel exhaust stacks, and a revamped instrument panel. According to the company, it has four Beavers in the process of being upgraded, with a current eight-month delivery schedule.
"I would like to thank Transport Canada for seeing this project as an opportunity to breathe new life into the legendary Beaver, and for recognizing the quality of work accomplished by the team at Valdor Aircraft," said Valdor president and senior director Gaétan Gilbert.
The PT6 engine family—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—consists of more than 64,000 units powering some 155 different aviation applications. Its current models offer up to 20 percent better specific fuel consumption than the original engine of 1963.
“We’re proud to be working with Valdor Aircraft on this project because together we’re giving new life to a legacy aircraft,” explained P&WC v-p of global services and marketing Anthony Rossi.