(ORDO NEWS) — The new Sky Courier model has received a type certificate that allows the aircraft to start operating.
Cessna Receives Type Certificate for Sky Courier, Its Largest Turboprop Aircraft
Textron Aviation, which owns the Cessna brand, has announced that it has received type certification for the 408 Sky Courier.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued approval documents for the new aircraft, transferring the multi-purpose light aircraft from the status of a test prototype to a ready-to-fly aircraft.
The three Sky Couriers have logged over 2,100 hours of flight testing, which officially began with first flight in May 2020. In early 2022, the company launched the first production Sky Courier at the company’s Wichita plant.
Work on the new aircraft was carried out with the participation of one of the largest cargo airlines FedEx Express, which became the launch customer for 50 copies of cargo aircraft with an option for another 50 units, as well as other carriers who expressed their wishes for the new liner.
What is known about the Cessna 408 Sky Courier
The novelty is a 19-seat transport-passenger twin-engine turboprop aircraft, which has become the largest aircraft of this type in the Cessna lineup.
The high-wing aircraft offers, according to Textron Aviation, the optimal combination of performance and low operating costs for operators.
Alongside the cargo version with a payload of 2,720 kg, there is a 19-seat Sky Courier variant that has separate crew and passenger entrances for unhindered boarding, as well as large cabin windows for natural light and visibility.
The cruising speed is 370 km / h, the maximum flight range is up to 1667 km, the flight range with a load of 2268 kg is 741 km, and the practical flight ceiling is declared at the level of 7620 m. For takeoff, a 1007 m long runway is enough.
The new Cessna SkyCourier is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC wing-mounted turboprop engines and a McCauley C779 aluminum propeller, as well as Garmin G1000 NXi avionics.
The aircraft has a large door and a flat floor cabin, while the cargo version can accommodate up to three LD3 shipping containers. The timing of the start of operation of the aircraft is not named.
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