Cessna’s 3 pre-production SkyCouriers have done over 700 flight test hours on their way to FAA certification & deliveries later in 2021
Cessna’s fleet of three pre-production SkyCouriers has now completed more than seven hundred flight test hours, and the programme continues toward FAA certification and first deliveries later this year.
Since the third aircraft joined the programme in late 2020, tests have covered: envelope expansion to all corners of the speed, altitude, and structural design; extreme hot and cold weather operations; bird strike testing; natural icing certification and certification of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC engine through Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA). Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification is expected soon.
Chris Hearne, senior vice president of Engineering & Programmes said “The aircraft has performed exceptionally well through every phase of testing, and we’re pleased by its progress”.
The SkyCourier will be offered in two configurations, a freighter with a 2,720kg payload and a nineteen-seat passenger version. Fitted with the popular Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite and single-point pressure refuelling as standard (to enable faster turnarounds), it will have a maximum cruise speed of 200kt (TAS) and a maximum range of 900nm.
