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Textron Aviation unveils new large-utility turboprop, the Cessna SkyCourier
Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced its new twin-engine, high-wing, large-utility turboprop – the Cessna SkyCourier 408. FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company and longtime Textron Aviation customer, has signed on as the launch customer for up to 100 aircraft, with an initial fleet order of 50 cargo aircraft and options for 50 more. Entry into service for the clean-sheet design Cessna SkyCourier is planned for 2020. (txtav.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Pretty sleek-looking! Hope it see's success. I bet it would be a suitable replacement aircraft for certain regional airline turboprops currently in service!
IMHO comes down to money. Companies like FedEX have access to vast sums of capital while airlines are in a consistent race to the basement in terms pax sevices. Airlines will keep their old turboprops that are most likely long paid for. Same as they have done with jets where the average age is typically 15 - 20 years. Not easy to break in with new sales. Bombardier comes to mind.
Fixed Gear on a twin turbo prop? I hope that is just concept and not final design.
Why? Retractable gear adds weight and complexity for not much performance gain on an aircraft built for short routes. Keeping it fixed probably adds 200 pounds of extra payload, and at worse would cost 10 knots of cruise speed.
Yup. These aircraft are meant to be rough, ready, versatile. These are intended to be cargo beasts first, people movers second. It will be interesting if they ever come out with a float version - an area where the twotter excels and appears to own that market (although small).
Absolutely. For aircraft in the < 250 KT range, the retractable gear gives very little efficiency (speed, fuel burn) advantage.
I have a Cessna RG, and our mantra is "If it moves, it breaks. If it breaks, you have to pay for it." And you avoid the need to jack up the plane and swing the gear at annual or 100-hour (or progressive).
Add to this fact that very few of FedEx's shorter routes are speed sensitive. Plus or minus 20-30 minutes won't change their operations or costs.
By far, most Cessna Caravans (C208) were bought by FedEx, so that plane and this new one are basically designed for one customer. Have a large-sale launch allows Cessna to afford the development costs and reduce production costs (since all the models in that run are identical).
Several Caravans have been used to be super-cool float planes. Don't thin that this new one will go that route ... but who knows?
I have a Cessna RG, and our mantra is "If it moves, it breaks. If it breaks, you have to pay for it." And you avoid the need to jack up the plane and swing the gear at annual or 100-hour (or progressive).
Add to this fact that very few of FedEx's shorter routes are speed sensitive. Plus or minus 20-30 minutes won't change their operations or costs.
By far, most Cessna Caravans (C208) were bought by FedEx, so that plane and this new one are basically designed for one customer. Have a large-sale launch allows Cessna to afford the development costs and reduce production costs (since all the models in that run are identical).
Several Caravans have been used to be super-cool float planes. Don't thin that this new one will go that route ... but who knows?
Just like the Twin Otter.