28 November 2017
Cessna has revealed a brand new aircraft, a large utility twin-engine turboprop. The launch customer is FedEx which has placed a firm order for 50 aircraft, with 50 more options.
Cessna is moving quickly with the new aircraft, known as the SkyCourier 408, intending to complete ground and flight testing, and the full certification process ready for the aircraft to enter into service in 2020. Base price of the aircraft is $5.5m.
Scott Ernest, president and CEO of Textron Aviation, said, “The aircraft will fulfill a gap in this market segment with its superior performance and low operating costs in combination with the cabin flexibility, payload capability and efficiency only a clean-sheet design can offer.”
19-seat passenger variant of the new Cessna SkyCourier.
Three standard size cargo containers fit straight inbto the SkyCourier.
The Cessna SkyCourier 408 will be offered in cargo and passenger variants. The cargo variant will feature a large cargo door and a flat floor cabin that can handle up to three LD3 shipping containers with a 6,000 lb maximum payload. The aircraft will have a maximum cruise speed of up to 200ktas and a 900nm maximum range.
The 19-seat passenger variant will include crew and passenger doors for smooth boarding, as well as large cabin windows for great natural light and views. Both configurations will offer single-point pressure refueling to enable faster turnarounds.
FedEx is a long-time customer of Cessna for its single-engine Caravan utility aircraft. The SkyCourier appears to be a natural development.
“FedEx Express has had a great relationship with Textron Aviation over the years, and this new, advanced aircraft will play a key role in our feeder aircraft modernisation strategy,” said David L. Cunningham, president and CEO of FedEx Express.
Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engines will power the SkyCourier.
FAST FACTS
Cessna SkyCourier 408
Performance
Takeoff Field Length 3,300 ft (1,006 m)
Maximum Cruise Speed 200 ktas (370 km/h)
Maximum Range 900 nm (1,667 km)
Cargo Range (with 5,000 lb payload) 400 nm (741 km)
Service Ceiling 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
Powerplant
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC, producing 1,100 shp (1,100 shp)
Propeller McCauley Blackmac 4-blade aluminum, auto feathering, reverse
Dimensions
Length 54 ft 10 in (16.71 m)
Height 19 ft 9 in (6.02 m)
Wingspan 72 ft (21.95 m)
Maximum Passengers 19
Maximum Payload (Commuter) 5,000 lb (2,268 kg)
Maximum Payload (Cargo) 6,000 lb (2,722 kg)
3 comments
Seeing as Beech 1900 aircraft are now getting rather elderly, Cessna seem to have come up with a nice looking, efficient modern alternative.
Won’t it be expensive to operate the commuter version as it has
to fly at lower altitudes to compensate for the unpressurised cabin?
Why doesn’t Cessna publish fuel capacity and fuel burn targets.