Cessna Invites Feedback On Turboprop Mockup

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Cessna is exploring the development of a new single-engine turboprop aircraft to fill a market gap between its Corvalis and Mustang models.
  • A cabin mockup is on display at EAA AirVenture to gather customer feedback, with initial responses being enthusiastic about its "space and comfort."
  • The proposed design features a roomy interior with a bench seat, ample baggage space, rear-facing seats, and a pressurized cabin, though final decisions on engine, avionics, and overall production are pending a strong market case.
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Cessna has been considering for some time adding a single-engine turboprop to its line to fill a gap between the Corvalis and the Mustang, and this week at EAA AirVenture the company has a cabin mockup on display to help collect customer feedback on the design. Cessna spokesman Andy Woodward told AVweb on Tuesday that so far customers have been enthusiastic about the “space and comfort” the mockup offers. Cessna staff wouldn’t allow any photos of the interior, but it was roomy and easy to get around in. On entering the cabin, passengers find a bench seat to the right with an open baggage area behind it, large enough for golf clubs and bags, and two rear-facing seats to the left. So far, Woodward said, visitors have been positive about the “space and comfort” the mockup offers.

The open area between the two sets of passenger seats is wide enough to stretch your legs in flight, and the mockup hints at built-in amenities such as work tables and cup holders. A space between the two forward seats, about a foot wide, provides access to a spacious cockpit with plenty of elbow room. The cabin would be pressurized to 8,000 feet when flying at 25,000, Woodward said. “No decisions have been made yet about engine choices or avionics,” he said. “We still need to make the market case that we need to build this airplane.”

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