Blackhawk XP42A Upgrade Package Now in Operation With 25 Caravan Operators Worldwide, Including East Africa

Since its introduction 14 months ago, and after earning a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and international certification agencies, 25 operators from six continents have installed Blackhawk Modifications, Inc.’s XP42A Upgrade Package for the Cessna 208B Caravan.

Of these new installations, one is operated by Mark Ross, president of the Ross Group in Nairobi, Kenya. Ross is a well-known aviator and writer with 25 years of experience flying passenger and humanitarian mission throughout remote areas in East Africa. As part of a joint venture with Blackhawk, he will promote Blackhawk and the XP42A Upgrade Package to the nation’s aviation community, providing marketing support and flight demonstrations after installation is completed.

“Every member of the Blackhawk team, including our partners and affiliates around the globe, shares enormous pride in the XP42A Upgrade Package and its remarkable record,” says Jim Allmon, Blackhawk president and CEO. “We are delighted to add Mark Ross to our team because he will greatly facilitate market development throughout East Africa.”

Blackhawk says customer experiences underscore the impact XP42A can have on an operation. One skydiving operator has increased his loads from 2.5 to four per hour. A rancher who worried about flying in and out of unimproved strips now handles landings and takeoffs with ease, reducing takeoff distance up to 40 percent. A doctor whose medical missions involve takeoffs and landings in rough terrain flies with confidence thanks to improved safety margins.

In addition, Blackhawk expects to earn an FAA STC that will permit XP42A Upgrade Package installation in other Cessna Caravan models, including Amphibians, enabling the entire global Caravan fleet to take advantage of the XP42A system’s performance improvements. 

The XP42A Upgrade Package includes a factory-new Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A engine rated at 850 continuous shaft horsepower (SHP). In addition, the package utilizes a new, wide-chord, 100-inch diameter Hartzell four-blade propeller; new composite cowling and high efficiency inlet duct; new 40 percent larger oil cooler; the existing engine mount with a modified horse collar; new engine hose kit; new Blackhawk Hawkeye DigiLog engine gauges; and new Frakes exhaust stacks. Blackhawk offers full technical support for the life of the aircraft. The upgrade significantly expands Caravan performance margins, effectively doubling the aircraft’s rate of climb while using less fuel. Takeoff distances on land or water will be reduced, and takeoff weight, range and true airspeed will increase. As features of its XP42A and other upgrade packages, Blackhawk also includes a free year of maintenance tracking from CAMP Systems International, and Blackhawk pays for the first year of trend monitoring with The Trend Group.

For more information visit www.blackhawk.aero.