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March 24, 2008
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Dale Bleakney pilots the first flight of the Cessna SkyCatcher prototype. |
“Walking up to a newly-completed, brand-new model prototype airplane brings a sense of focus, excitement and trust in those who built it,” said Dale Bleakney, senior engineering test pilot and pilot of the Cessna SkyCatcher’s successful first flight.
Bleakney was behind the controls of the Model 162 SkyCatcher prototype for its first test flight earlier this month. Bleakney left Cessna Aircraft Field Airport in Wichita, Kansas just after 7 a.m. and flew for about an hour, landing at Mid-Continent airport where the airplane will continue development testing.
Bleakney completed several flight maneuvers, evaluating the controllability and stability of the aircraft.
“After each and every test flight, I personally take the time to thank every person who worked on the plane on the ground,” Bleakney said.
The successful flight was another milestone for the SkyCatcher, Cessna’s Light Sport Aircraft. Widely considered to be the most advanced and innovative airplane in its class, a full-scale mock-up of the SkyCatcher was first unveiled in July at the Experimental Aircraft Association convention and received an enthusiastic response.
“The first flight of the SkyCatcher is a significant step ahead toward our goal of bringing an affordable training aircraft to market,” said Jack Pelton, Cessna’s chairman, president and CEO. “There is a lot of excitement at Cessna as we progress through our developmental programs and I’ve very proud of our teams for continuing to stay on track.”
This is the first of three airframes for the SkyCatcher: a prototype will be followed by the first production model and an ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) test article. Cessna engineers will build and test them at its facility in Wichita, Kansas during the development phase of the program. The first production SkyCatcher is scheduled to fly later this spring.
“Cessna’s dedicated SkyCatcher team made an incredible effort to complete the first flight on schedule and I’m extremely proud of their accomplishments,” said Derek Mookhoek, the SkyCatcher program manager.
Priced at $111,500, the SkyCatcher is expected to cruise at speeds of up to 118 knots with a maximum range of 470 nautical miles. The aircraft will feature a Garmin G300 avionics system. Information is presented in a single, split-screen primary flight display (PFD) and multi-function display (MFD), or as two full-screen displays with an optional second screen. The aircraft will be capable of day and night, visual rules operations.
Preliminary design parameters for the SkyCatcher include a maximum gross weight of 1,320 pounds, a service ceiling of 15,500 feet, a useful load of 490 pounds and a usable fuel capacity of 24 gallons.
It has a cabin width at shoulder height of 44.25 inches, equaling that of the much-larger, 6-place Cessna 206 Stationair. It features two top-hinged cabin entry doors and forward pivoting seats giving access to a 12.5 cubic-foot baggage compartment. The aircraft will have tricycle landing gear with a castering nose wheel and standard dual toe-actuated disc brakes.
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