Blackhawk Modifications Teams with Sierra Nevada Corporation to Certify the XP67A for the King Air 350ER
LAS VEGAS, NV – October 9, 2017 – Through Blackhawk Modifications’ subsidiary government and military sales division, Vector-Hawk Aerospace (VHA), the companies have teamed with Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to offer the Blackhawk XP67A Engine+ Upgrade STC Kit for the King Air 350ER at 16,500 and 17,500 pounds maximum allowable takeoff weight (MTOW).
Specifically developed for military and government operations, the offering will include two factory-new Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PT6A-67A engines, new MT 5-bladed composite propeller assemblies and spinners, and a True Blue Power lithium-ion battery. Training, support, and a five year/2,500 hour enhanced new-engine warranty are also included.
“Blackhawk is proud to be teamed with a company like SNC on this program,” said Jim Allmon, Blackhawk’s President and CEO. “With Blackhawk’s engineering and branding expertise coupled with SNC’s military and government reach, this will prove to be a highly successful program. Our government and military division, Vector-Hawk, was instrumental in the facilitation of the program, and my congrats go to VHA President, Pete Franks, for his efforts to team us with SNC.”
The XP67A will provide a 25-30% increase in power, which translates into improved climb and cruise performance for King Air 350ERs especially on hot days at high altitudes. Although the PT6A-67A will produce a 400 thermodynamic SHP increase over the stock PT6A-60A, the Blackhawk engine will actually reduce the overall weight of the aircraft by about 18 pounds.
"Sierra Nevada Corporation is excited to work with Vector-Hawk and Blackhawk, world leaders in aircraft performance improvements, to offer this capability for greatly increased performance in high-density altitude areas of operation,” said Tim Owings, Corporate Vice President of SNC’s Integrated Mission Systems business area. “This will truly be a game changer, offering increased safety, performance, and mission capability."
Testing is underway at Blackhawk Headquarters in Waco, TX, and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018. Once approved, SNC will have exclusivity to provide the Blackhawk Engine+ Upgrade STC Kit to the Special Missions market for US and most foreign governments/military aircraft weighing 16,500 lbs. and above. SNC will complete the installations at their network of authorized install facilities.
For more information, visit the Blackhawk Team October 10-12 in Booth C7330 during NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, Nevada.
About Blackhawk Modifications
Blackhawk Modifications, Inc., founded in 1999 in Waco, Texas, is a recognized aviation leader in providing engine performance solutions to the turboprop fleet. The company has the largest installed fleet of STC twin and single-engine turboprop upgrades, making Blackhawk the largest non-OEM buyer of new Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines in the world. A worldwide network of approved dealers and service support centers complements Blackhawk’s U.S. facilities. For more information, visit www.blackhawk.aero.
About Sierra Nevada Corporation
Recognized as one of “The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space,” Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) provides customer-focused advanced technology solutions in the areas of space, aviation, electronics and systems integration. SNC’s diverse technologies are used in applications including space exploration and satellites, aircraft integrations, navigation and guidance systems, threat detection and security, scientific research and infrastructure protection. Founded in 1963 and headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, SNC operates under the leadership of owners, CEO Fatih Ozmen and President Eren Ozmen, with a workforce of more than 3,000 personnel in 34 locations in 19 U.S. states, England, Germany and Turkey providing global support to customers. For more information on SNC visit www.sncorp.com.
