Blackhawk TBM 700 engine upgrade STC (still) 'imminent'

The company reported in October that it had completed baseline flight testing for the STC, which includes upgrading the engine of the Daher TBM 700 from a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-64 to an 850-horsepower PT6A-66D, "boosting performance to rival the TBM 850," the company noted in a press release. AOPA reported on flying Blackhawk’s TBM 700 test aircraft in the July issue of AOPA Pilot, Turbine Edition.

Additionally, Blackhawk anticipates “immediate” approval of another STC for Beechcraft King Airs announced in 2024 at the National Business Aviation Association annual convention. The company reported at AirVenture that it has submitted all test data to the FAA for an STC to retrofit a King Air 350 with Hartzell five-blade composite propellers paired with the XP67A Engine+ upgrade. The package reduces weight and noise, and increases performance, with a cruise speed of 337 knots true airspeed, and a climb to 35,000 feet in less than 18 minutes with a 24-percent increase in available horsepower. Blackhawk’s King Air program is its most prevalent in the marketplace, but with additions like the XP66D TBM upgrade, the company aims to reach even more turbine customers.

The company also announced it has taken delivery of 2,000 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engines for installation in TBM, King Air, Cessna Caravan, Piper Cheyenne, and Pilatus PC–12 aircraft during its quarter century in business. Blackhawk Aerospace was named the sole provider of Piper Meridian PT6A-135A replacement engines under an STC from MT Propeller in North and South America.

Blackhawk is based in Waco, Texas, and was founded in 2019. A private equity firm bought a majority stake in 2023.