A solid private aircraft. A Cessna SkyCourier during a test flight. On November 28, 2017, Textron Aviation unveiled a new large utility turboprop designated as Model 408. FedEx plans to take monthly deliveries over four years starting in 2020, and a similar pace for a second batch, if it agrees to that option. Cessna SkyCourier Specs. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-powered freighter has been specifically developed to carry three LD3 unit load devices per the requirements of FedEx Express, which has orders for 50 examples and options to double that number. Production on the SkyCourier was kicked off by a 50-aircraft order from FedEx Express in 2017. It will cruise up to 200 kn (370 km/h), with a maximum range of 900 nmi (1,700 km). [11], By March 2020, initial ground testing was completed, checking the fuel system, engines, avionics interfaces and electrical systems. Cessna SkyCourier has a high-wing monoplane design, which integrates the T-tail empennage configuration. It will be available in a 19-passenger variant with large cabin windows and separate crew and passenger doors, or in a cargo variant sized for three LD3s and 6,000 pounds of payload, featuring a "large cargo door and a flat floor cabin". Although the aircraft is optimized for efficient cargo operations through the use of single-point refueling and a capacity of three LD3 shipping containers, it is also configurable for 19 passenger seats. One differential, however, is in the rear cargo door while the Cessna uses a side door in the cargo version. One plane will be delivered per month to FedEx’s Memphis-based air express division beginning in 2020. The SkyCourier is a multi-use utility turboprop designed for both cargo and passenger use, building upon the popular Cessna Grand Caravan. The aircraft’s line production will soon commence, with 50 cargo variants going to FedEx shortly after launch. FedEx Express order. The twin-engine turboprop Cessna SkyCourier took off for the first time on Sunday morning. Take a closer look at the Cessna SkyCourier, America's soon-to-be newest freighter and airliner. The prototype aircraft, along with five additional flight and ground test articles, will be used for testing leading to certification. [13] A third test aircraft first flew in September 2020. A number of orders should already be available for the high-decker. [3], The SkyCourier is a twin-turboprop, high-wing, utility aircraft. FedEx Express order Textron Aviation has built a strong relationship with FedEx Express, which has utilized the Cessna Caravan platform in its feeder aircraft fleet for over 30 years. The aircraft will have a maximum cruise speed of up to 200ktas and a 900nm maximum range. The shipping giant's airline plans to use the SkyCourier to transport freight to remote destinations that do not warrant or cannot accommodate its larger aircraft, replacing its ageing fleet with the new and highly capable turboprop. It will be available in a 19-passenger variant with large cabin windows and separate crew and passenger doors, or in a cargo variant sized for three LD3s and 6,000 pounds of payload, featuring a "large cargo door and a flat floor cabin". The Cessna SkyCourier 408 will be offered in cargo and passenger variants. A Microsoft account helps us personalise your Microsoft experiences and keeps your music, documents, app favourites, settings and more in sync with your Phone, PC or Xbox. FedEx Express and Textron Aviation marking a deal for the purchase of 50 SkyCouriers. Take a closer look at the Cessna SkyCourier, America's soon-to-be newest freighter and airliner. Photo/Textron Aviation. The Cessna SkyCourier will build on that proven success in the large-utility category, offering even greater capability and mission flexibility. The Cessna SkyCourier is designed to be a workhorse, with the ability to fly multiple flights in a single day into a variety of airports. The Cessna SkyCourier aircraft has two configurations to best suit your business needs ranging from a 19-passenger configuration to a freight configuration carrying three LD3 shipping containers. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-powered freighter has been specifically developed to carry three LD3 unit load devices per the requirements of FedEx Express, which has orders for 50 examples and options to double that number. Textron has confirmed it is developing a new, clean-sheet design, twin-engine, high-wing, large-utility turboprop and it’s called the Cessna […] Performance. FedEx Express has already placed a 50-aircraft order … Trump is threatening Iran and Biden says the Pentagon is stonewalling him on 'many things' with less than a month until inauguration, Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. While boasting the versatility to carry 19 passengers or 6,000 pounds of cargo with its large cabin, the SkyCourier is also designed for high utilization operations even at airports with subpar conditions, making it a true workhorse. The Brazilian plane, however, is behind in the volume of orders. The Cessna SkyCourier is designed for high utilization and will deliver a combination of robust performance and lower operating costs. Cessna SkyCourier 408 Turboprop Aircraft. FedEx Express has already placed a 50-aircraft order for the new model valued at over $US500 million. But they have ordered 30 ATR 72-600F in 11/17 for deliveries starting 2020 The ATR 72-600F features a class E main cabin for cargo operations, and will support both bulk cargo and Unit Load Device (ULD) configurations. Textron has successfully flown its latest offering from the Cessna stable – the twin-turboprop 408 SkyCourier. [2], The clean-sheet design should offer better cabin flexibility and payload capability, superior performance and lower operating costs than its competitors. The twin-turboprop departed for its first test flight from Textron Aviation's Wichita, Kansas facility on the grounds of Beech Factory Airport on May 17. The airframe will be built from traditional aluminum materials and will be equipped with proven Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65 engines, fixed landing gear and Garmin G1000 avionics. A full-scale mockup of the 19-passenger cabin was displayed at the October 2018 National Business Aviation Association convention. Source: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. A twin-engine, fixed-gear turboprop, the SkyCourier has already attracted an order of 50 aircraft and 50 options from FedEx. The aircraft’s configuration was built to fit FedEx Express requirements. Engines. [2][6], Initial wind tunnel tests were completed in March 2018. Textron Aviation completed assembly of the first freighter-configured Cessna SkyCourier 408, and subsequently operated its first test flight, the company announced this week.. Disruption in the form of later cutoff times for cities served by integrator feeder networks may be on the horizon. In turn, FedEx has committed to becoming the Cessna SkyCourier's launch customer with 100 on order (50 through an initial batch with an option for 50 more aircraft to follow). Textron Aeronautics sets up the Cessna SkyCourier in … FedEx is the launch customer with an initial order for 50 aircraft. The SkyCourier is a twin-turboprop, high-wing, utility aircraft. Rumour no more! Cessna SkyCourier will feature the popular Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite and offer highlights such as a maximum cruise speed of up to 200 ktas and a maximum range of 900 nm. The non-pressurized cabin will be 70 in (178 cm) tall and wide, with a flat floor and a 87 in (221 cm) cargo door. The all new CESSNA SKYCOURIER turboprop was designed for fully loaded high frequency operations and maximum efficiency. The twin turboprop prototype Cessna SkyCourier first took off from Beech Field on the Textron Aviation site in Wichita on the morning of May 17 2020. The Cessna SkyCourier 408 features a high-wing monoplane design, integrating T-tail empennage configuration. The Cessna SkyCourier aircraft has two configurations to best suit your business … The all new Cessna SkyCourier turboprop was designed for fully loaded high frequency operations and maximum efficiency. Get the latest news and alerts on COVID-19. SkyCourier 408 cargo and commuter variants. Textron has successfully flown its latest offering from the Cessna stable – the twin-turboprop 408 SkyCourier. Like the SkyCourier, the ATL-100 has high wings, a T-tail and is powered by the same PT-6 as well as carrying 19 passengers or 2,500 kg of cargo. by Jerry Siebenmark ... FedEx is the launch customer for the SkyCourier, with 50 firm orders for the airplane and … FedEx Express is to buy 50 Cessna SkyCourier 408 aircraft, with options to purchase up to 50 more. As the type's launch customer, FedEx will take delivery of its first 408s in mid-2020, with subsequent deliveries on a schedule of one aircraft per month over a four-year period. FedEx Express (FX, Memphis Int'l) has announced it has placed a firm order with Textron Aviation for fifty Cessna 408 SkyCourier. [8], Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era, Utility aircraft under development by Cessna, "First Cessna SkyCourier twin utility turboprop takes flight", "Textron Aviation unveils new large-utility turboprop, the Cessna SkyCourier; FedEx Express signs as launch customer for up to 100 aircraft", "Textron Aviation Adds Third SkyCourier to Program", "Textron Launches New SkyCourier Turboprop With Cargo, Pax Versions", "FedEx to be launch customer for new Cessna turboprop", "Textron Launches Cessna SkyCourier with 100-Plane Deal", "Textron launches Beech 1900-sized SkyCourier with FedEx order", "Textron Debuts SkyCourier Mockup in Pax Config", "Textron Aviation marks successful wing and fuselage mate of the first Cessna SkyCourier aircraft; begins next phase in development", "SkyCourier completes initial ground testing", "Testing, Testing: Second Cessna SkyCourier Flies", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cessna_408_SkyCourier&oldid=994172054, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Aircraft specs templates using more performance parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 December 2020, at 12:47. The Cessna SkyCourier will build on that proven success in the large-utility category, offering even greater capability and mission flexibility. Single-point refueling will speed turnarounds. The Cessna 408 SkyCourier is an American twin-turboprop, high-wing, utility aircraft under development by Textron Aviation. A new turboprop twin from Textron Aviation has been rumoured for some time but it hard to see what segment of the aviation that the owners of Beech and Cessna would aim for. The aircraft which have a payload of 6,000lb, are part of a modernisation plan for the FedEx feeder fleet. Single-point refueling will speed turnarounds. Cessna SkyCourier Cabin and Interior. It is the first production-conforming aircraft and will be used for testing the engines, propellers, environmental controls and the avionics. SkyCourier is a clean-sheet aircraft developed with input from FedEx Express. The Cessna SkyCourier was first announced in 2017 as a highly durable utility aircraft intended to build upon the capabilities of its tried and true predecessor, the Cessna Grand Caravan. The clean-sheet ... Cessna SkyCourier Engine. The Cessna SkyCourier is a twin-engine, high-wing, large-utility turboprop airplane being developed by Wichita, Kansas-based Textron Aviation. The Model 408 was launched on November 28, 2017 by Textron Aviation, with an introduction planned for 2020. 29.11.2017 - 20:48 UTC. 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. Delivery of the first aircraft is expected in mid-2020, with subsequent deliveries on a schedule of one aircraftRead More According to a statement, the purchase includes fifty additional options. Load, fly, unload and repeat, then watch your business grow. RELENTLESS CAPABILITY. [10], The mating of the wing and fuselage of the first aircraft was completed in December 2019. FedEx Express has announced that it will buy 50 new Cessna SkyCourier 408 cargo planes with an option to order 50 more from Textron Aviation. FedEx Express orders 100 SkyCourier aircraft, including stringent orders of 50 cargo planes as well as options for 50 more airplane. Load, fly, unload and repeat, then watch your business grow. Reliably lifting off day after day with heavy payloads requires real performance and capability. [9] The SkyCourier is a multi-use utility turboprop designed for both cargo and passenger use, building upon the popular Cessna Grand Caravan. [8] The largest express transportation company in the world, FedEx Express has signed on as the launch customer for up to one hundred aircraft, with an initial fleet order of fifty cargo aircraft and options for an additional … [5] FedEx Express will be the launch customer, with an order of "50 cargo aircraft and options for 50 more". [7] The design will be certified to FAR Part 23 standards. WICHITA, Kan. (May 17, 2020) – Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced the successful first flight of its new twin utility turboprop, the Cessna SkyCourier.The milestone flight is a significant step toward entry into service for the clean-sheet aircraft, and it kicks off the important flight test program that validates the performance of the Cessna SkyCourier. The first flight was originally planned for 2019 and first deliveries anticipated in 2020. First Cessna SkyCourier Gets Its Wings. The airplane has an MTOW of 18,560 pounds and will be certified under the updated Part 23 category requirements. Awaiting that milestone is FedEx Express, which has already placed 50 orders for the aircraft with an option to extend that number to 100. Its aerial jaunt around Kansas' skies was the first step in a flight-testing campaign that will test the performance of the aircraft on its way to certification. [2] The 408's design was developed to match FedEx Express requirements, like the earlier Cessna 208 Caravan. The newest turboprop from Cessna has taken to the skies for the first time. [2] Cessna's newest aircraft, the SkyCourier, has taken to the skies for the first time. Textron Aviation has unveiled a new large-utility turboprop, the Cessna SkyCourier 408, and has signed an agreement to sell up to 100 of the aircraft to long time customer FedEx Express. [1] The second prototype first flew in August 2020. Textron Aviation has built a strong relationship with FedEx Express, which has utilized the Cessna Caravan platform in its feeder aircraft fleet for over 30 years. It will cruise up to 200 kn (370 km/h), with a maximum range of 900 nmi (1,700 km). Cessna SkyCourier Cost and Orders The cost of the current Cessna SkyCourier is around United States $ 5.5 Million. Cessna 408 SkyCourier — 50 Launch customer Deliveries begin in 2020 FedEX has not ordered the Do228NG. [12] The first flight was completed on May 17, 2020, operating from Beech Factory Airport for a 2-hour and 15-minute flight. Cessna SkyCourier 408 design and features. The purchase is worth up to $550M, based on the SkyCourier’s list price of $5.5M. Cessna SkyCourier 408 performance. Cessna SkyCourier Specs, Cockpit, Interior, and Price. Cessna SkyCourier 408’s third and final test aircraft (P2) completed its maiden flight on September 28, 2020, pushing the turboprop’s flight test program to a total of 150 flight hours. 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