Stevens Aviation Completes King Air 350 Blackhawk Upgrade

Stevens Aviation’s Nashville facility recently completed its first Blackhawk XP67A engine upgrade STC kit on a Beechcraft King Air 350. The modification, which was completed in two weeks during a phase inspection, features two factory-new Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67A engines and new MT five-blade natural composite propeller assemblies.

Overall, the upgrade increases the single-engine service ceiling; lowers operating and maintenance costs; and reduces the overall weight of the aircraft by an average of 18 pounds. The new engines yield a power increase of between 25 and 30 percent, which translates to an increase in true airspeed and rate of climb.

Blackhawk Modifications tested the upgraded King Air 350 against a stock version of the aircraft at FL350 at ISA+20 and found that the upgrade package improved true airspeed by 18 percent. The Blackhawk upgrade reached 35,000 feet from sea level in 18 minutes while the stock version of the King Air 350 took 45 minutes.

"This gives one of the world’s most beloved turboprops true jet-like speeds, doubling the payload, and significantly reducing operating costs when compared with a jet," said Kenyon Blacker, general manager of Stevens Aviation’s facility in Nashville. "When you take into consideration the expected jump in resale value, this conversion makes all the sense in the world.”