On June 12, 1955 the test pilot cranked over the 145 horsepower Continental O-300 air-cooled six cylinder engine of the prototype Cessna Skyhawk, preflighted, check the control surfaces, and then pointed the nose skyward. Although this high-wing, single-engine piston aircraft would cause a shift in the general aviation arena, the first flight was largely uneventful.
Tag Archives: Cessna
The Civil Air Patrol has contracted with Textron Aviation of Wichita, Kansas – the owner of three distinct brands (Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker) – to purchase 17 new aircraft. These new aircraft will replace older models in the current fleet.
Now Cessna Aircraft has two diesel-engine aircraft in its single-engine line. The company displayed a Cessna 172 Turbo Skyhawk JT-A at EAA AirVenture and said that certification is expected “soon” for the Cessna 182 Turbo Skylane JT-A.
The Skyhawk JT-A is powered by a 155-horsepower Continental CD-155 diesel engine that is claimed to extend the aircraft’s range to 1,012 nautical miles, a 58-percent jump over the standard Skyhawk, and to increase speed to 131 knots true airspeed while burning 25 percent less fuel. It will be offered as an option in 2015.
The engine is already certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency for retrofit to newer Skyhawks under a supplemental type certificate.
In the largest puchase deal in the history of the company, Cessna Aircraft announced at Moscow’s JetExpo 2013 that Russian flight training group ViraZH has placed an order for 79 Cessna 172 Skyhawk aircraft.
This will give the Moscow-based ViraZH, the largest Skyhawk air wing in operation in the world, with 90 172s on the flight line. The company plans to use the Skyhawks, along with 11 172s purchased in 2011, for training purposes at flight schools throughout western Russia. The order is part of a multi-year agreement between Cessna and ViraZH. All 79 aircraft set to be delivered by the third quarter of 2014.
“We are delighted to have a strong relationship with ViraZH and are proud they have selected the Cessna 172 Skyhawk to be their training platform,” said Kriya Shortt, Cessna senior vice president of Sales.