Textron Aviation Completes Wind Tunnel Testing On Cessna SkyCourier Turboprop
Textron Aviation recently wrapped up wind tunnel testing on the company’s forthcoming Cessna SkyCourier, a clean-sheet twin-engine turboprop it announced in November 2017. Textron expects to first fly the SkyCourier in 2019 and enter it into service in 2020. The company, which also owns the Beechcraft and Hawker brands, says results from the wind tunnel tests will provide it data concerning performance and aerodynamic traits and structural load it can use to continue finalizing the aircraft’s design.
A Utility Player
Targeted at airfreight, commuter, and special mission operators, the high-wing utility SkyCourier will combine high-performance abilities with low operating costs, Textron claims. For commuter purposes, the aircraft will seat 19 passengers and include both crew and passenger doors. The freighter version, meanwhile, will sport a large cargo door, while the flat floor cabin will handle three LD3 shipping containers and support a 6,000-pound (2,721-kilogram) maximum payload capacity.
Providing a maximum 200-KTAS cruise speed, 900-nautical-mile (1,667-kilometer) maximum flight range, and 5,000-pound (2,268-kilogram) maximum commuter payload, the SkyCourier will measure 72 feet (22 meters) across the wings, 19.8 feet (6 meters) high, and 54.8 feet (16.7 meters) long. Two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC turboprop engines will power the aircraft, which also comes with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics.
In a news release, Brad Thress, Textron Aviation senior vice president of engineering, said the company used a custom precision model outfitted with electric motors and scaled propellers calibrated to represent the thrust an actual aircraft would produce in the testing. “We’re making outstanding progress in the development of this clean-sheet aircraft and are eager to continue defining the details that will allow us to start creating tools and parts,” he said.
A Modern Solution
In addition to wind tunnel testing, Textron is taking feedback from a Customer Advisory Board concerning the SkyCourier’s design development. Textron says it has received “tremendous interest” in the aircraft from operators seeking a “modern solution in the large twin-utility space.” Already, Textron and launch partner FedEx have announced FedEx has ordered 50 cargo SkyCourier aircraft and has an option for 50 more.
“The flexibility and mission potential for the Cessna SkyCourier is attractive to a wide variety of operators,” Thress said. “The feedback we’re gathering from the CAB is extremely important as we develop an aircraft that is reliable, efficient, and meets the diverse requirements of an array of mission profiles.”
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Source: Textron Aviation
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