The Caravan is a great machine and the Blackhawk upgrade just makes it so much better. We operate in a mountainous area of the country and the ability to quickly climb to altitude is important. The higher cruise speed means more efficient delivery of loads and more trips in a day.
Your engine really has completely changed the Cessna Caravan. It should have had this much power all along, as it completely changes what one is able to do with the aircraft. Most of our strips here in East Africa are short, at high altitude, and have trees or mountains very nearby.
We can go higher with no noticeable increase in fuel use, carry 20 passengers instead of 18 with our increased useful load, and fly 22 loads a day instead of 12 because of the climb rate.
I used to be able to take 2.5 loads an hour – now I can take 4. That’s a dramatic change for the better. On one flight we took 16 people to 16,000 feet in 13 minutes, an impressive achievement!
I’m very happy with the Blackhawk upgrade. Horsepower will cost you money, but the significant improvement in performance is worth every penny. I’m a PT6A guy and it just got better switching to the 42A.
At Alkan Air, we are always searching for a more safe and efficient way to serve our clients. The Blackhawk Caravan engine upgrade is the next logical step in the evolution of the capable 208B Caravan. Our customers ask for the Caravan year in and year out because of its payload and reliability.