Skyhawk to soar on jet-A

Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. company, announced it is closing in on certification of the turbo diesel model of its popular 172 Skyhawk. Cessna and Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH have accumulated more than 200 hours on a prototype of the single-engine piston aircraft in efforts to achieve European Aviation Safety Agency certification for the supplemental type certificate that will allow Cessna to offer a factory-installed engine operating on Jet-A fuel. Once EASA certification is secured, Cessna will pursue type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. Deliveries are expected to begin by mid-2008. Customers see exceptional value and productivity in an airplane combining the reliability of the Skyhawk with Jet-A fuel’s wide availability and lower direct operating cost, said John Doman, Cessna Vice President of worldwide propeller aircraft sales. Market interest in the new Skyhawk TD is very high; we plan to increase production in 2009 to meet the demand.

PhenoMenal

On April 12, Embraer finished assembling the first Phenom 300 jet at its Gavião Peixoto plant in São Paulo, Brazil. The Phenom 300, with its premium comfort, best-in-class performance and low operating cost, will set a new standard for the Light Jet category, said Luís Carlos Affonso, Embraer Executive Vice President, Executive Jets. Interiors designed by BMW Group DesignworksUSA, the Phenom 300 best-in-class jet’s onboard conveniences include a wardrobe or refreshment centre, an aft cabin private lavatory with toiletry cabinet, and satellite communications. Customers can fly nonstop from London to Reykjavik in Iceland, the Azores, Cairo, Tel Aviv or Moscow; and from Geneva to the same destinations, plus the Canary Islands. The aircraft is expected to enter service in the second half of 2009.