Waco, Texas-based Blackhawk Modifications has been busy. Less than a year after receiving FAA approval of its Cessna Caravan XP140 New Engine+ engine upgrade STC, the company has completed its 20th installation. The upgrade replaces the existing 675-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A turboprop with a more powerful (867-shp) and updated PT6A-140. Blackhawk made the announcement of the latest installation today at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.

Contributing to the popularity of the upgrade is the compatibility with the Caravan’s existing cowl and exhaust system. One customer, Peter Fox of Fly Safari Airlink in Tanzania, plans to order a second XP140 conversion from Blackhawk. He said, “It is much more cost effective for us on the longer routes. Not only do we get our customers to their destination more quickly, but we save engine and airframe time on our ‘new’ Caravans.” Fly Safari upgraded its first Caravan 208B in February.

Besides FAA approval for the STC, Blackhawk also has received certifications from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviacão Civil (ANAC). Blackhawk president and CEO Jim Allmon said, “My role is to understand what Cessna Caravan operators need and then deliver results in the most cost-effective way. When Pratt & Whitney Canada designed the PT6A-140 engine specifically for the Caravan, we knew we could achieve our objectives and hit a home run for Caravan operators.”