Blackhawk's XP-67A upgrade to the King Air 350 is claimed to make it the best performing King Air.
THE OLD ADAGE THAT
‘you can never have too much power’ is the core of Blackhawk’s modifications. But it’s not just a matter of swopping the standard engines for more modern higher-powered versions – you have to be able to use that power, and so the engine conversion includes new props which are quieter and more efficient.
Blackhawk established its reputation as the leading turboprop modifier by upgrading the King Air 200. It was then a natural outgrowth for it to expand its range of upgrades to include the top of the range King Air 300/350 series.
BETTER THAN NEW
The heart of an aircraft is its engines. The Blackhawk upgrade of the King Air 350/350ER features Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-XP67A engines (-67s), producing 1,050 shaft horsepower (shp) up to 25,000 feet.
AOPA reports that Blackhawk’s latest offering is a package for the King Air 350 and 350i that the company calls its XP67A Engine+ Upgrade. It swops out the stock Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60A (dash 60) engines for PT6A-67A (dash 67) power-plants—the same engines used in the Pilatus PC–12NG turboprop single.
This story is from the May 2022 edition of SA Flyer Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2022 edition of SA Flyer Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
EXERCISE VUK'UHLOME 2024
The South African Army's Exercise Vuk'uhlome 2024 Distinguished Visitors (DV) Day took place on 21 November at its Lohatlha Combat Training Centre. Although an Army exercise, the event combines SAAF squadrons for ground support.
LANSERIA AIRPORT implements E-Gates
As air travel continues to grow, pressure mounts on the check-in process, resulting in frustration and often leading to missed flights.
LIVING THE DREAM - Part 1: Life in the Trailer Park
A harsh, piercing sound jolts me out of a restful, deep sleep. My alarm clock. Where am I? The ceiling is not familiar, the bed is hard, and the room smells. Well, I know I'm not home. My mind is racing to identify my location on this planet. Oh yes, I'm at work. Houma, Louisiana.
OKAVANGO ECHOES
One Okavango evening, at the luxury Khwai River lodge, a young well-bred English pilot of good character and eloquent public-school accent and I had too much to drink.
RODGER FOSTER STEPS OUT THE COCKPIT
At the end of November 2024 Airlink announced a change of leadership following the decision by current CEO and Managing Director, Rodger Foster, to step down at the end of March 2025. Rodger Foster founded the airline almost 33 years ago.
MARK TIERNEY'S CAFE PROPOSAL
One of the many challenges faced by African airlines is access to cost effective finance.
ENGINE FIRE!
Iris McCallum's continues her stories about her early years with Air Kenya, and we get to revisit one of her more dramatic moments.
GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
I'm sure you are familiar with the 'Leave Bug'. It's a little worm which lives in calendars. It hatches in cycles of two. Just before you are due to go on leave it grabs the last five days of duty and makes each one last for 48 hours.
AVIATION'S GOT THE CAREERS - BUT ARE YOU READY?
Now that Covid is receding into being a bad dream and the aviation industry is bouncing back strongly, the aviation press, blogs and websites are abuzz with predictions that we're facing a massive skills shortage. The only way to address this is by dramatically ramping up training to ensure an ongoing flow of new professionals into the industry
FLYING AROUND THE KZN AIRFIELDS
In less time than it takes to drive from one side of Johannesburg to the other, you can fly to beautiful KZN to experience amazing scenery and some fantastic airfields and hospitality.