Blackhawk touts new PC–12 engine upgrade
Waco, Texas-based Blackhawk Aerospace stated on October 18 that it expects to introduce a new, more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada turboprop engine for the legacy series of Pilatus PC–12 single-engine turboprops.
Baseline flight testing of the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67P has been completed, Blackhawk said, and the new engine should earn FAA certification under a supplemental type certificate (STC) in the second quarter of 2023, with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) following shortly thereafter. Currently, the modification is moving through the certification process.
The XP67P, with 142 additional thermodynamic horsepower, replaces the standard, 1,200-shaft-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B used in the early PC–12-41/45 models. The extra thermodynamic horsepower boost comes from the XP67P’s higher interstage turbine temperature (ITT) limitations. The -67B’s takeoff ITT limit is 800 degrees Celsius, Blackhawk said, and max ITT in climb and cruise is 760 degrees C. In the XP67P, those temperatures are upped to 850 and 820 degrees C, respectively.
The result is more torque and power at higher, more efficient altitudes. Blackhawk claims that on an international standard atmosphere day, the stock -67B starts losing power at 15,000 feet; the XP67P can maintain full power to Flight Level 250.
“Pre-certification orders are an important metric for gauging how successful a new STC will be,” said Jim Allmon, Blackhawk president and CEO. “Having five contracts in the pipeline prior to obtaining the STC serves as great supporting evidence for the fact that we have a fantastic program to offer the PC–12 market.”
