In announcing the purchase, Ed Schweitzer, founder and president of SEL, told company employees that the new aircraft will continue the company's long-standing efforts for safe, efficient travel for employees, customers, Special Olympics teams and Corporate Angel Flight participants.

“We've been partners with Cessna for almost 10 years, and they have provided the highest quality products with outstanding service,” Schweitzer said. “The new Columbus aircraft will get us safely to hundreds of destinations as we expand our business worldwide. Customers have come to expect the best from us, and these planes will help us meet those expectations.”

Schweitzer noted that more than 750 different people have used the company's Cessna aircraft, which have surpassed 3.2 million miles flown since SEL made its first purchase in 1999.

SEL was founded in Pullman in 1982, employs more than 1,500 people in 64 locations around the world and sells products in 121 countries. The company serves the electric power industry worldwide through the design, manufacture, supply and support of products and services for power system protection, monitoring, control, automation and metering.

“Cessna's relationship with SEL is indicative of how our Citation family is responding to the Model 850,” said Roger Whyte, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for Cessna. “We've taken a number of orders for the Columbus since announcing the details of the aircraft in early February. Our customers are eager for a product that allows them to move up in cabin size with an outstanding speed/range combination, while staying in the Citation family.”

SEL currently operates two Citation X business jets and a Citation Bravo. In addition to two Columbus business jets, the company has ordered a Citation Sovereign that is expected to deliver in 2009.

The Citation Columbus is expected to be the only aircraft in its class capable of 4,000 nautical miles non-stop at Mach .80. Preliminary performance numbers set a maximum cruise speed of 488 knots, a maximum operating speed of Mach .86, a full fuel payload of 1,950 pounds and takeoff field length of 5,400 feet at maximum takeoff weight.

Configurable for up to 10 passengers, the Model 850 will have a cabin length of 36.3 feet including interior baggage space. Cessna's engineering team and its suppliers have designed the clean-sheet Columbus to be one of the most advanced, fuel-efficient, cleanest business jets ever conceived.

“Ed Schweitzer has built his business by manufacturing top-quality products and offering industry-leading technical support, so he expects nothing less of Cessna,” Whyte said. “Ed was involved in our customer consultations when we first began considering a large cabin concept. His opinion as a customer and as an engineer who appreciates advanced design was invaluable, and he helped shape what has become the Citation Columbus.”

The Model 850 will debut Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW810 engine, an environmentally friendly engine that will make the Columbus the most fuel efficient aircraft in its class. Pilots will also find unprecedented levels of operational efficiency and flight deck capability with the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion™ advanced avionics system. Cessna plans to achieve FAA certification by the end of 2013, with deliveries beginning in 2014.

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 $12.6 billion. 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 5,100 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, 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.