Cessna Introduces New 350 and 400 Aircraft to World Wide Sales Force
Wichita, Kan., March 17, 2008 Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, this month introduced the new Cessna 350 and 400 aircraft to its Cessna Sales Team Authorized Representatives (CSTAR) at a conference in Bend, Ore. where the 350 and 400 are produced.
The conference included briefings from Cessna executives, Cessna Finance Corporation, Cessna Aircraft engineers and sales representatives from the Bend Municipal Airport facility and the Cessna Advanced Aircraft Club. A tour of the production facility was also provided to the CSTARs.
Since Cessna acquired the assets of the Bend plant in December 2007, the production facility has received a full face lift including new signage, new lighting and a new customer center. The transition plan, which includes implementation of Textron Six Sigma, has reached 40 percent completion. Cessna expects to deliver 150 350/400 aircraft this year and plans to increase production rates in 2009 to meet customer demands.
Cessna’s 350 and 400 aircraft are low wing, composite aircraft designed for speed and efficiency. At a maximum cruise speed of 235 knots true air speed (ktas), the Cessna 400 is the fastest fixed gear single-engine piston aircraft on the market. Designed with safety in mind, both aircraft have dual carbon fiber reinforced wing spars, dual horizontal stabilizer attach-points and multiple hinge points for all control surfaces. The airframes are constructed entirely of fiberglass and carbon fiber. All control surfaces are carbon fiber, and only the stabilizer attach-spars, landing gear legs and engine mount are primary structures made of steel. Certification for the aircraft is under Part 23, Amendment 46 in the utility category. The Cessna 350 is spin resistant and the 400 is spin recoverable.
Equipped with a 310-horsepower Teledyne Continental TCM IO-550N, the Cessna 350 has a certified ceiling of 18,000 ft and a maximum cruise speed of 190 ktas. The twin turbo charger equipped, intercooled TCM TSIO-550C can allow the Cessna 400 to cruise as high as FL250. A 4-place, built-in oxygen system is included with the 400.
Like all current Cessna single-engine products and the Citation Mustang, the 350 and 400 are equipped with the integrated Garmin G1000 avionics system. The aircraft complement Cessna’s current product line well, filling the niche between the Cessna 206 Stationair and the Citation Mustang. Jet-like features of the 350/400 include speed brakes, bleed air heat and many fully redundant systems including dual alternators, dual primary electric power busses and dual batteries. The aircraft also incorporate a G1000 flight management data-entry pad similar to the Citation Mustang. Other unique features include 2 and 3 axis trim, side-stick controls, digital climate control, and remote keyless entry with step lights.
After learning more about the 350/400 and the aircrafts’ market potential, the CSTARs promptly placed orders for the remaining 2008 production in anticipation of strong demand from their customers.
