Textron Aviation unveils Cessna Skycourier

Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has revealed its new twin-engine, high-wing, large-utility turboprop – the Cessna SkyCourier 408. Logistics firm FedEx Express has signed on as the launch customer for up to 100 aircraft, with an initial fleet order of 50 cargo aircraft and options for 50 more. Entry into service for the clean-sheet design Cessna SkyCourier is planned for 2020.

The Cessna SkyCourier 408 will be offered in cargo and passenger variants. The cargo variant will feature a large cargo door and a flat floor cabin that is sized to handle up to three LD3 shipping containers with 6,000 lb of maximum payload capability.

The 19-passenger variant will include crew and passenger doors and large cabin windows. Both configurations will offer single-point pressure refueling to enable faster turnarounds.

The aircraft will offer a maximum cruise speed up to 200ktas and a 900nm maximum range.

“We were eager to work directly with a world-class company like FedEx Express to jointly develop the Cessna SkyCourier,” said Scott Ernest, president and CEO of Textron Aviation.

Textron Aviation has built a strong relationship with FedEx Express, which has used the Cessna Caravan platform in its feeder aircraft fleet for more than 30 years.

“This new, advanced aircraft will play a key role in our feeder aircraft modernization strategy,” said David L. Cunningham, president and CEO of FedEx Express.

Powered by P&WC PT6A engines
Textron Aviation has selected Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC), a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., to supply power for the Cessna SkyCourier. The 1,100shp PT6A-65SC engines are equipped with Full-flight data Acquisition, Storage, and Transmission (FAST) data systems to help optimize operations, reduce costs, and increase availability. FAST provides situational awareness about engine health, usage, and trends. It captures, analyzes, and wirelessly transmits high-density, full-flight data after each mission. It also enables features such as on-board event detection and crew alerts, and turbine blade creep counting.

P&WC has developed 71 PT6A models which have been certified on 128 applications. PT6A engines have flown 387 million hours.