Economic Value
5 Reasons Blackhawk Engine Upgrades
Provide the Ultimate in Savings and Value.
- The overhaul trap. Engine maintenance is vital, but overhauled engine performance is essentially unchanged. Subsequent overhauls may be more expensive, with added costs. Blackhawk upgrades frequently cost less than third-run overhauls. With Blackhawk, you know what you are paying up front with no surprise costs. Overhauls are an inspection that will restore components to the bare minimum safety status for operation. New engines come with all the latest Service Bulletins and technology incorporated.
- Performance pays. Better aircraft performance means lower maintenance costs,less time on the airframe and engine, lower operating expenses (an XP52 Upgrade can save $50,000 a year), less downtime (due to significantly increased TBOs). Plus, we stock engines, making them available for immediate delivery. With an overhaul, you take the engine off, install a rental, fly for a couple months, then return and have your old overhauled engine reinstalled. Two events vs. one with Blackhawk. The TBO is not changed, but it will take you longer to get to the TBO as you are getting to your destinations faster. A Conklin & de Decker analysis shows that an operator will save 35 hours per year based on the same assumptions. So, you will overhaul a -41 engine every 9.5 years, while an XP52 will take 10.5 years. More performance means you get a “free” year of operating over the course of a 3,600 hour TBO cycle.
- Resale value. As the only engine upgrade endorsed by Hawker Beechcraft, Blackhawk products have the strongest resale value of any upgrade on the market. Historically, nearly every Blackhawk-upgraded aircraft that has been resold within 500 hours of flying time has sold very close to, or, in many cases, higher than, the combined investment of the airframe and engines. Resale value of upgraded aircraft remains strong in all markets. Many dealers are even speculating on Blackhawk-upgraded aircraft. Also, Blackhawk’s XP upgrades are globally certified (EASA, ANAC, DGAC), which broadens the resale market.
- Productivity. The impact of a better-performing aircraft can be significant. For example, a skydive operator with an XP42A Upgrade installed on his Cessna Caravan, would have the ability to carry an additional 3-4 jumpers to 12,000 feet AGL – and add one extra flight every hour – for increased revenue and bottom-line performance. Or, an XP61-powered King Air 200 can save an hour of block time flying the Governor of South Dakota from Pierre to Washington D.C.
- Independent verification. Conklin & de Decker conducted an in-depth, independent analysis detailing the value of Blackhawk engine upgrades.