TangoWhiskey
Touchdown! Greaser!
Had a discussion with a Cessna rep at the KGYI fly-in. I asked if he thought Cessna would continue working on their Next-Generation-Piston (NGP) aircraft now that they've acquired Columbia.
His answer: "I know for a certainty that we are!"
He said that they are continuing design work, and have made a number of test flights this past week.
They redesigned the wing, utilizing the airfoil and composites talent from Columbia, and are getting much better speeds now than before.
They are working on two engine configurations: one is a small turbine, the other is a turbo diesel. Both are flying. The small turbine is getting 260+ knots with the new wing.
He said that the infusion of the Columbia talent pool into a legacy of sheet-metal thinkers has leapfrogged the design. Will be interesting to see at what price point the NGP comes out... I didn't think to ask about that.
His answer: "I know for a certainty that we are!"
He said that they are continuing design work, and have made a number of test flights this past week.
They redesigned the wing, utilizing the airfoil and composites talent from Columbia, and are getting much better speeds now than before.
They are working on two engine configurations: one is a small turbine, the other is a turbo diesel. Both are flying. The small turbine is getting 260+ knots with the new wing.
He said that the infusion of the Columbia talent pool into a legacy of sheet-metal thinkers has leapfrogged the design. Will be interesting to see at what price point the NGP comes out... I didn't think to ask about that.
