Textron's Cessna Completes Center at Aviation Industry's Premier Educational Event

April 19, 2006

New university orders further underscore the pursuit of flying excellence

Wichita, KS – April 19, 2006 – Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, opened a newly completed educational center at the Sun 'n Fun Air Show 2006, the first building of its kind on the Sun 'n Fun campus. The 2,400-square-foot multi-purpose center was funded by The Cessna Foundation, and underscores the Company's commitment to the owner-operator population, as well as the pursuit of flying excellence.

The new Center will provide year-round educational programs for aviation enthusiasts of all ages – especially young people – with valuable hands-on learning experiences. The Cessna Center also will be available to others who would like to host workshops or forums.

"Textron companies have a long history of providing top educational resources and tools to customers to help them achieve their goals," said Lewis B. Campbell, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Textron Inc. "This commitment especially is evident in the opening of the new Cessna Educational Center. In fact, it's just this kind of customer commitment that has earned Cessna top honors in industry service and support ratings, including Pro Pilot magazine's annual readership survey."

Funding of the new building was made possible through The Cessna Foundation, a private foundation that makes philanthropic contributions on behalf of the Cessna Aircraft Company. Grants are made to qualified non-profit organizations to improve the education, health and advancement of the people who live in communities where Cessna has facilities or for programs that advance education in the aviation field. It is intended that contributions will improve the quality of life, address the most pressing community needs, or further the advancement of the aviation industry.

"We are extremely pleased that The Cessna Foundation grant could make the Cessna Center a reality at Sun 'n Fun," said Jack J. Pelton, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Cessna. "Cessna's commitment to support small aircraft owners and operators and to provide education to those individuals is a top priority – after all, more than half the people in the United States who know how to fly learned in a Cessna."

University Orders In addition to opening the educational center, Cessna also announced two aviation university aircraft orders. Sixteen new 172 Skyhawk SPs equipped with the Garmin G10000, the latest computerized avionics were ordered from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Most of the fleet eventually will be converted to digital (glass) cockpits that offer additional information and heightened situational awareness in the cockpit.

Deliveries of 42 172 Skyhawks to the Civil Aviation Flying University of China (CAFUC) has begun and will continue throughout the month of April. The airplanes are being delivered by boat in 40-foot containers that carry three 172s at a time.

The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) also is adding 16 new Cessna 182T Skylane aircraft to its fleet. CAP has the world's largest fleet of single engine piston aircraft, and 540 are Cessnas. The 16 additional 182Ts will make 58 total 182s in the fleet, with plans to add more this year.

About Cessna Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2005, Cessna delivered 1,157 aircraft and reported revenues of about $3.5 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 187,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered to nearly every country in the world. The global fleet of more than 4,500 Citations is the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com. Cessna is a subsidiary of Textron Inc.

About Textron Textron Inc. is a $10 billion multi-industry company operating in 33 countries with approximately 37,000 employees in continuing operations. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others. More information is available at www.textron.com.

Connect with Textron IR

David Rosenberg, Vice President, Investor Relations
(401) 457-2288
Kyle Williams, Manager, Investor Relations
(401) 457-2288

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