Honeywell Ups Coverage To Five Years Or 2,500 Hours
Operators flying Cessna Caravans
with the Honeywell TPE331-12JR turboprop engine, which now powers a
dozen Cessna Caravans upgraded by Aero Twin, Inc. and Texas
Turbines Conversions, got word Monday that the warranty has been
extended on the engines to five years or 2,500 hours.
“The TPE331 turboprop engine provides up to 30 percent
more power, reduces fuel burn by about four gallons an hour, has a
faster throttle response, and costs as much as $40 an hour less to
operate than the production motor on the Caravan,” said Mike
Bevans, technical sales director, Business and General Aviation,
Honeywell Aerospace. “The TPE331 now has an even lower cost
of ownership on the Caravan with a standard five-year, or
2,500-hour, warranty.”
Both the Aero Twin and Texas Turbines Supplemental Type
Certificates (STCs) are certified for flight into known icing. The
STCs are available for the Cessna Caravan (model 208) with wheels
or floats and the Grand Caravan (model 208B). The standard
installation for a -12JR engine is 850 to 900 shaft horsepower.
However, Aero Twin, based in Anchorage, Alaska, can upgrade a
Cessna Grand Caravan to 950 shaft horsepower.
“The Caravan is a fantastic
airplane, and we’ve just helped it get to the next
level,” said Tony Cestnik, president of Aero Twin. “The
Caravan demonstrates outstanding water performance as an
amphibian, and with shorter water takeoff – just 14 seconds
– operators get more operational flexibility and reduced
airframe stress.”
Texas Turbines, based in Celina, Texas, notes that their STC
complies with the strict new German Airfield Noise Protection
Order. “The TPE331 meets Germany’s flyover noise limit,
which solves a problem for some current Grand Caravan
owners,” said Bobby Bishop, president of Texas Turbines.
“Our customers rave about the power, performance and
fuel savings they achieve with the modification.”
The TPE331 has unparalleled reliability and efficiency,
demonstrated in use on more than 80 aircraft platforms worldwide.
More than 13,000 TPE331 engines have been produced, accruing more
than 115 million hours. The engine’s single spool design
provides pilots with immediate power response and its proven
reliability pushes the TPE331 to the top of customer support
surveys. The TPE331 is also on the Reaper/Predator-B unmanned
aircraft.