StandardAero is to support a new entry into the cargo aircraft market, the Alpine Air Express Beech 1900D Super Freighter. As a Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) with Distribution rights for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A family, StandardAero is delivering Alpine Air and its customers with responsive PT6A-67D support for its Super Freighter program.
Developed through a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) program by well-known scheduled air cargo services provider Alpine Air, the Super Freighter converts the Beech 1900D into a highly capable cargo aircraft with a 40% capacity increase over the established 1900C freighter. Powered by the reliable PT6A-67D, the Super Freighter also offers a 23% range advantage over the 1900C, along with a 7% speed increase. Equipped with a large 62 in. x 25 in. rear cargo door and fitted with a new Z-track cargo system, the Super Freighter’s 900 cu. ft. cabin can accommodate a useful payload of 7,439 lb.
Alpine Air secured STC certification of the Super Freighter in October 2018, and the aircraft is now in operation in support of Alpine Air’s client base, which includes the United Parcel Service (UPS) and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Alpine Air is now undertaking full-rate conversions of Beech 1900Ds to Super Freighter configuration, both for its own use and for sale to third-party operators.