No snow.
Summer. Or Gorebull Warning, whatevs.
Posted on 07/23/2007 2:07:32 PM PDT by Domandred
The Model 162 SkyCatcher will be Cessna Aircraft Co.'s entry in the Light Sport Aircraft category.
Cessna made the announcement and rolled out a full-scale mockup Sunday during the opening day of the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual convention in Oshkosh, Wis.
The two-seat airplane has an initial price of $109,500 for the first 1,000 airplanes ordered, then the price will be $111,500.
Keeping the airplane in the $100,000 range was one of the goals set by Jack Pelton, Cessna chairman, president and CEO, during the program's development. Cessna announced its LSA program during the 2006 EAA convention and has been soliciting customer opinions before making the decision to proceed with production.
The airplane will cruise at 118 knots (136 miles per hour) with a maximum range of 470 nautical miles. The SkyCatcher has a maximum gross weight of 1,320 pounds and carries 24 gallons of fuel.
Cessna plans to build 700 airplanes a year once the assembly line reaches full production by 2011. Company officials hope the new airplane will be attractive to flight training schools as well as light sport aircraft enthusiasts.
The airplane will be certified under American Society for Testing and Materials regulations rather than the Federal Aviation Administration, although Cessna plans to conduct many of the tests required for FAA certification.
The company plans to certify the SkyCatcher in the first half of 2008 with first customer delivery scheduled in 2009.
Cessna is at the top of the Wichita Business Journal's 2007 list of the area's largest employers.
Which is going to keep it out of range for the average buyer ... but still plenty of 150/152’s around ....
Hey...easy on the tube and fabric "Kites":)
I'm building a tube and fabric "kite" that'll sport an 0-540 and pack 1200-1300lbs of usefull load while without leaving utility catogory ...and still smoke everything this side of a -206. Steel is good.
But you are right about legitimizing LSA, and if they stay at 111K for another 5 years they'll start to become a descent value.
Might be worth a lease back to an FBO if the tax writeoffs still work.
>>
—how will they make it lawyer-proof?—
<<
Why do you think a $30,000 airplane sells for over $100,000?
I used to think that Chevy naming a car after a traffic ticket (Citation) was the stupidest thing until I realized they for years lost out to Ford in the Central American Markets with their NOVA (literally named “NO GO!”) to the Ford Falcon..
The 1980+ Chevy Citation was a first effort at modern fwd ,, it was terrible ,, the interior was typical GM ,, bad plastics held together with superglue ,, the steering rack was located improperly (later corrected) and caused unintentional lane changes when the engine cradle shifted under torque load.. The 2.8 was weak weak weak ...
The Cavalier was worlds better (and that’s not saying much).
Thanks for ping. I want one!
Thanks for ping. I want one!
I have lived around the country and in Asia.
My likes are flying, scuba diving and offshore and inshore fishing.
I also ride a Harley Davidson.
Can’t do that any other place.
In Calif. it is too expensive. I live in the country but close enough that i can go to town.
Hot and Humid? Yeah but not like Atlanta or many places in the south.
And not a blowtorch like the south west.
Folks aren’t as nice as in the midwest but about as crappy as in the north east.
I forgot about the brakes ,,, the problem was common on most FWD’s ,, the rears did so little work that it was hard to get the balance right,, especially as the fronts would change grip as they warmed up and the rears never warmed...
Hey...easy on the tube and fabric "Kites":)
Yeah, ya' got me. A 540-powered anything isn't a 'kite'!
Think my bias stems from a trip up in a friends' Rotax- powered Kitfox. The foothill turbulence bounced us all over the place! Quite a ride.
We also have quite a few ultra-lite flyers up here. Even one gent with a powered parachute.
no way!!!
I live in PSL, and I'm an instructor.
I haven’t done any instructing since Pan Am moved out of KFPR, but I still keep one PA28-151 that I tinker with on weekends while thinking about going back into business someday.
Interesting that Earl Hough just sold the Jet Center FBO - and the Tiki.
Do you live out on Aero Acres?
Now I need 4 seats and a longer range, so I’m looking at the Comanche.
Something that could make the hop to Phila with one or no stops would be perfect, but until I get some more money, the idea remains off burner
E-225 and 0-470 powerd Bonanza’s are hard to beat.
Oh, God Neid, those cars sucked almost as bad as the Vega.
Not that I know much about small planes, but what is with the steep rake of the windshield? That doesn’t look very aerodynamic.
Very nice little birds. I wish I had one. But I have a bad case of the too’s; Too old, too slow, too big, and too poor.
In my younger days I hoped to build a four place Sequoia. Later a 2/3 scale P-51D. I always loved building things. Heck, from my experience building was more fun than having. But I sure wish I could have built that P-51D.
May just be that the 170/172 sold like crazy while the 177 didn’t.. 177’s still sell at a discount... maybe the upright windshield gives the impression of being “upright” “trustworthy” etc. etc.
Is there an aviation chat here? See my bio ......
jane
No snow.
Summer. Or Gorebull Warning, whatevs.
Thanks for the ping, I”m sitting between Ave 7 and 8 in Camp Scholler, about two rows from the fence bordering Hwy 41 at EAA Airventure 2007, having just finished dinner and the Beach Boys concert. I’ll be looking for the bug smasher tomorrow. Weather perfect, airshow was great, the Beach Boys are approacing my age so they ain’t what they used to be, but still they are great in the nostalgia dept, and this crowd loves nostalgia.
Yep, composites, speed, and state of the art avionics...for a reasonable price.
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