Wipaire Shows Off Fresh STC at AirVenture

Wipaire brought out some good news for Cessna Caravan operators in the form of their newly approved STC for the installation of Hartzell Propeller's Yukon four-blade prop.

The company brought out their own modified Caravan, allowing AirVenture audiences to start imagining how they'd mod their own C-208s at home. The 110-inch diameter prop can be had with or without TKS icing protection or electric de-ice boots, so it can be had for pretty much any environment a Caravan may find. The carbon prop sports nickel leading edges to prevent corrosion and wear. Pitch locks can be had via option, too.

The Yukon's 137-pound full composite construction frees up a nifty 19 pounds compared to the stock prop, with improved performance to boot. The 4-blader is a surprisingly effective mod for the Caravan, if Wipaire's testbed is any indication. Their float-equipped testbed saw a 26% reduction in total takeoff distance on land, and an eye-popping 31% reduction on water. That's great news for backcountry Caravan operators, since they can start running on smaller bodies of water.

Wipaire saw zero change to stall speeds, throughout it all, making the Yukon a rare modification: Aside from the cost, it doesn't seem to come with any drawbacks.

The 4-blade Yukon prop can be installed on wheeled and floated Cessna Caravan C208 and C208Bs, when equipped with the PT6A-114A 675 shaft-horsepower engine or the PT6A-140 867 SHP engine. Wipaire's STC is available now, with the Wipaire team ready to take deposits for the modification. The team's testbed float-equipped Caravan made the trip to Oshkosh, giving AirVenture's bushplane fans some eye candy.

FMI: www.wipaire.com