Oshkosh, WI - July 28, 2008 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, has reached the following milestones for its single engine piston and entry-level business jet products on display at this week’s Experimental Aircraft Association
AirVenture 2008:
Citation Mustang - The Citation Mustang entry-level business jet has gained global popularity since entering service in April 2007 and orders have surpassed 500. Forty-five aircraft were delivered in 2007, and Cessna plans to celebrate the 100th unit in August. The company will deliver 100 Mustangs this year alone, about three of every five going to international customers.
The current fleet totals 86 aircraft that have accumulated more than 12,500 flight hours. The high-time aircraft has logged more than 500 hours. All current production Citations employ new generation turbofan engines, which meet or exceed the most stringent noise requirements and allow Cessna’s line of business jets to be among the most fuel efficient and achieve some of the lowest emissions in the industry.
Cessna 350 and 400 - Cessna expects to deliver 150 Cessna 350/400 high-performance, low-wing composite aircraft this year with the help of the Textron Production System, which also has improved workplace safety, productivity and customer satisfaction.
Cessna acquired certain assets of the Bend, Ore., operation in December 2007. The company has since rebranded the models and transitioned the Bend, Ore., composite aircraft facilities.
“By implementing Textron Six Sigma and using lean operating tools, our team in Bend is making great progress on streamlining production while maintaining the high quality and reliability of the aircraft,” said Mark Withrow, general manager of the Bend facility. “We’ve seen a significant reduction in labor hours per aircraft, and Bend is on track to cut the number of factory related safety incidents in half this year.
“Most importantly, I’m happy to report that along with a flawless on-time delivery record this year, our employees’ work has received the top score for quality on all post-delivery customer surveys,” Withrow added.
Cessna 182 Skylane - Through Sept. 30, 2008, Cessna is offering customers an incentive to purchase a new Cessna 182 Skylane or Turbo Skylane. Cessna will pay for up to $15,000 in fuel for the new Skylane between now and the end of 2009, based on an average of 11.5 hours flown per month at normal power settings (12 gallons/hour). Cessna also will upgrade the aircraft at no charge to include Garmin’s Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT). SVT offers an enhanced presentation of terrain as well as “Highway-in-the-Sky” flight guidance that is integrated into the Garmin G1000 avionics suite, the standard avionics suite in the Cessna 182, as well as in all other Cessna propeller aircraft and the Citation Mustang entry-level business jet.
About Cessna Aircraft Company
Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2007, Cessna delivered 1,272 aircraft, including 387 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $5 billion. Cessna has a current backlog of $16 billion through June 30, 2008. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 190,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered to nearly every country in the world. The global fleet of more than 5,200 Citations is the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a $13.2 billion multi-industry company operating in 34 countries with approximately 44,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, defense and intelligence, 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 release 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 our facilities or at our suppliers’ facilities; [c] the timing of new product launches and certifications of new aircraft products; [d] the occurrence of slowdowns or downturns in customer markets in which our products are sold or supplied; [e] changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellation of orders; [f] the launching of significant new products or programs which could result in unanticipated expenses; [g] changes in national or international government policies on the export and import of commercial products; and [h] bankruptcy or other financial problems at major suppliers that could cause disruptions in our supply chain.