Blackhawk pumps up the Cheyenne I

Blackhawk Modifications Inc. of Waco, Texas, now offers an engine upgrade package for the Piper Cheyenne I twin turboprop.

The modification replaces the Cheyenne I’s stock, 500-shaft-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-11 engines with 620-shp PT6A-28 engines. Although capable of 620-shp, the new engines are flat rated to 500-shp. This means that they can keep on producing 500-shp at higher altitudes than the originals. It also means better climb rates and less time and distance to climb to fuel-efficient cruise altitudes.

Blackhawk says that the new upgrade—dubbed the “XP28”—will give the Cheyenne I the same performance as the Cheyenne II, including a 250 knots true airspeed cruise speed. The conversion uses freshly overhauled PT6A-28s and comes with a flight manual supplement and new performance charts.

“For not much more than a typical -11 overhaul, an operator can now attain desirable performance levels which will rejuvenate value and demand. It’s a good time to own the celebrated Cheyenne I,” said Jim Allmon, president and CEO of Blackhawk.

The XP28 is priced at $475,000 for the remainder of 2009. The price is based on a core exchange of the current engines, and four-blade Hartzell or McCauley propellers are an option. The installation can be performed at Blackhawks’ Waco site, or at any of Blackhawk’s 50 authorized facilities.