Brian Steele, business leader for the TTx said
"Seeing the first production model take flight
in March was a fantastic moment in the TTx
program. We anticipate first deliveries to occur
in May. The G2000 avionics from Garmin are part
of a cockpit that makes a fantastic first
impression, and people will be glad to know we
are flying the final certificate version of the
software.
“It's the attention to detail that help set the
TTx apart. There's the speed, of course, but the
other factors – the touch screen control pads,
the air conditioning, the cup holders, the room
for golf clubs in the back, the stitched leather
on the seats, the side-stick control – that make
the TTx a very exciting airplane."
Announced last summer, the Grand Caravan EX has
outpaced what was expected of the aircraft, and
now offers operators a 38 percent improvement in
the rate of climb over the Grand Caravan. This
figure outstrips the initial 20 percent
improvement goals set by aircraft designers. The
aircraft has an appeal to "high and hot"
operators in many remote parts of the world.
This is a key adaptation for the aircraft,
allowing for missions in more remote,
mountainous areas. Cessna is working towards
Flight Into Known Icing (FIKI) certification for
the EX, and expects this to occur in early May.
"The EX has so much more power than you would
expect. It is something you have to experience
to really get the full effect," said Lannie
O'Bannion, business leader for the Cessna Grand
Caravan EX. "We have had many owner/operators
take the left seat and just be amazed by how
much more they can do with that additional
horsepower. We like to call it the sport utility
aircraft, as it has shown itself to be the ideal
solution for safely getting people or cargo into
places other aircraft simply cannot go."
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