Blackhawk Aerospace announced at the 2021 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) that it is working on an engine upgrade program for some Pilatus PC-12s. Once the supplemental type certificate (STC) has been approved, the XP67P Engine+ Upgrade program will replace the stock Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B engine found on legacy PC-12s with a factory-new PT6A-67P. The -67P, which has higher internal turbine temperature (ITT) limitations and produces 142 more thermodynamic horsepower than the -67B, will increase the aircraft’s power and performance including allowing the PC-12 to 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. “Our foundation of innovation continues to carry us to new and exciting heights, and we look forward to welcoming PC-12 owners and operators into the Blackhawk family.”
According to market research conducted by Blackhawk, there are currently 1,700 PC-12 models in operation, more than 600 of which will be eligible for the XP67P upgrade. Flight testing is expected to begin in early 2022. Blackhawk is targeting the first quarter of 2023 for STC completion and estimates that the upgrade will be priced at around $800,000.
