Blackhawk Aerospace (Booth 2445) is adding an engine upgrade program for the Pilatus PC-12 to its list of aircraft re-engining offerings. Via supplemental type certificate (STC), Blackhawk’s PC-12 XP67P Engine+ upgrade replaces the turboprop single's stock Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67B engine with the higher-thermally-rated PT6A-67P model.
Flight testing of a PC-12 with the new engine is expected to start late in the first quarter of next year. The XP67P upgrade includes a new PT6A-67P engine but retains the PC-12's original Hartzell four-blade aluminum propeller. Blackhawk plans to certify additional propeller options in the future.
With 1,700 aircraft in service, the PC-12 is the second best-selling turboprop single, behind the Cessna Caravan. For more than 600 of the PC-12s eligible for the XP67P upgrade, many of which are at or close to overhaul, it is an optimum opportunity to install an engine upgrade, according to Blackhawk. Operators upgrading before TBO expiration will receive an engine core credit of $95 per hour for any engine time remaining.
Featuring improved metallurgy, the XP67P engine allows for a higher internal turbine temperature (ITT) limitation of 850 degrees C versus the stock -67B’s 800-deg C limitation on takeoff. Maximum continuous ITT for climb and cruise is 760 deg C for the -67B and 820 degrees C for the XP67P.
The PT6A-67P is a 1,200-shp engine that produces 142 more thermodynamic horsepower than the stock PT6A-67B, and the higher ITT and thermo produced by the -67P engine enables operators to use full torque to more efficient cruising altitudes. A stock -67B engine starts losing power at 13,000 feet, but the XP67P can maintain full power to 23,000 feet.
“Building upon the success of our existing Caravan engine upgrades, adding the Pilatus PC-12 platform to our growing list of STCs was a natural evolution for the aftermarket engine upgrade business that Blackhawk was built on,” said Blackhawk president and CEO Jim Allmon. “We look forward to welcoming PC-12 owners and operators into the Blackhawk family.”