Lakeland, FL - April 17, 2007 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, is displaying the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) and Next Generation Piston (NGP) proof-of-concept airplanes here at the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In. Cessna continues to evaluate these proof-of-concept airplanes for design specifics, market demand, and whether or not the products support a viable business case for production.
Several changes have been made to the LSA proof-of-concept after 78 hours of testing the flight envelope. “We're evaluating the 100 horsepower Continental O-200 engine and we have modified the nose cowl to fit the Continental engine,” said Neal Willford, project engineer for the LSA.
After 126 hours of testing the NGP proof-of concept aircraft, Cessna engineers are refining the aerodynamic design and systems. The proof-of-concept aircraft is powered by a normally aspirated 315 horsepower Lycoming IO-580. Other engines are also being considered for the NGP program.
The NGP is constructed using a higher percentage of composite materials than Cessna's traditional aircraft. It is likely that the final configuration would be a hybrid of composite and aluminum which optimizes the available technology.
The interiors of the LSA and NGP proof-of-concept airplanes are no indication of what the production models would look like. The interior designs are being evaluated with human factors mockups. The combination of developments from the proof-of-concept aircraft and the human factors mockups will define what the production planes would look like if the projects were to move forward.
Cessna's launch decisions on these aircraft are expected later this year.
Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2006, Cessna delivered 1,239 aircraft, including 307 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $4.2 billion and a backlog of $8.5 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 189,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered to nearly every country in the world. The global fleet of almost 5,000 Citations is the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.
Textron Inc. is an $11 billion multi-industry company operating in 32 countries with approximately 40,000 employees. 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 Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Fluid & Power, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation. More information is available at www.textron.com.
Forward-looking Information: Certain statements in this report are forward-looking statements and speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including but not limited to the following: [a] changes in worldwide economic and political conditions that impact demand for our products, interest rates and foreign exchange rates; [b] the interruption of production at Textron facilities or Textron's customers or suppliers; [c] the occurrence of slowdowns or downturns in customer markets in which Textron products are sold or supplied or where Textron Financial offers financing; and [d] changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellation of orders.