New SE Cessna model rumor
 

I have heard rumours from Cessna dealers and other flying webpages that Cessna are planning to develop a new Cessna model. Either a retractable 182 or something pressuriesed and turbine?? Has anyone heard anything?

I think the "rumour" is actually from the back of the latest GA mag that Cessba have a low wing aircraft in design to compete with the Cirrus.

As far as retractable and turbo prop, they have had those for years.

Has it been announced yet? Cessna don't make single engine retractable and turbine aircraft and I don't think they ever did. All retractable SE Cessnas are pre 1986.

The caravan is available as a turboprop and I am pretty sure it has pull up legs.

No announcement from Cessna, just GA rumour.

C208 Caravan has fixed gear.

The rumour in full, from the pages of the AOPA UK magazine General Aviation:

Low-wing Cessna?

It’s strictly unofficial, but rumours coming out of Cessna in Kansas indicate that something revolutionary is on the cards – probably an all-new piston single, and possibly a low-wing design.
The company is increasingly concerned about challenges to its dominance of the piston single market – particularly from Cirrus – and recognises that the current Cessna line, deriving as it does from a design more than 60 years old, may have been taken as far as it can go.
The high wing has been a distinguishing feature of all Cessnas up to the Caravan, but according to Rumour Control, Cessna CEO Jack Peyton cannot recognise a sacred cow when he sees one. He has said that he does not intend to relinquish Cessna’s primary position in the market, and his answer is a blank-sheet single, designed in skunk-works secrecy and expected to be unveiled in 2005.
The Cessna 172/182 range is still the most popular aircraft in the world, and it takes courage to meddle with success on that scale – but with relative latecomer Cirrus having muscled its way into second place in the manufacturers table, Cessna is conscious of its vulnerability.
Just a rumour, but well worth spreading.

Let's all hope and pray there is some truth to the rumour. Seriously, selling a 1950s design at 2004 prices is an insult to intelligent people.
Then again, intelligent people don't but these old contraptions, right?
Must be plenty of fools out there ... :uhoh:

A lot of Americans (very few others) are still paying the equiv. of GBP 150k for a new 1950's Cessna albeit with some modern stuff in the panel.

However Cirrus are cleaning up the market and it is only a matter of time before Cessna sales dry up - except for specific missions requiring short/soft strips for example.

What amazes me is how long it has taken them. And Piper haven't got the message yet - I bet their European annual PA28 sales can be counted on one's fingers. Reminds me of Norton, BSA.... It shows how extremely conservative the U.S. GA market is, allowing these dinosaurs to go on for so long.

it was the 210 with the Rolls Royce Turbine that I was thinking off. It has pull up legs, sme style as the 177, standard retract nosewheel and the "daddy longlegs" rotate rear gear.

The cessna p210 with the turbine is a conversion of older 210's with the piston engine and replacing it with a RR turbine. They are really cool airplane, cruise at over 200kts, known ice too.

I went it one in Ireland only for a short spin, the guy landed it on a 410 x 10m strip. There has only been about 60-70 of these aircraft built. They are unique there is nothing on the market that can match their performance in speed and short field ability and fuel consumption. have a look at www.onaircraft.com

I do wish they'd make some new 152s, I think they'd make stacks of cash if they did that. All of the ones I've flown are fine aeroplanes but they look so old inside.

Looking at the pretty good choice of 2-seaters from various European manufacturers, many on Permit but some on a CofA, most of which can run circles (literally) around a C150/152, I don't think there would be a market for it outside the flight training industry, and most of that market has barely enough money to pay this month's rent never mind look at a new aircraft.

There is no copyright on the design, any patents would have expired many years ago, yet no aircraft designer has chosen to produce a C15x replica.

shame really as the 152 is a great aircraft, easy to fly but hard to fly well. with a few modern fixes such as those we have done to ours, drag reduction kits and sensinich props etc you have a 100kt tourer and trainer that is fun to fly and can go in and out of anywhere.

yes I know there are other options out there but I do have a soft spot for the 152!

I can understand; I did 65hrs in a C152 in my PPL training :) I do however think that at 100kt it has the fuel efficiency of a brick, compared to something composite...

I dearly wish both Cessna and Piper would stop producing their original models. I've nothing against the C150, C172, PA28 as I had many years of wonderful flying in them BUT all are almost half the age of the history of powered flight.

Keeping designs which originated in the 1950's with engines of the same period hasn't done much for the advancement of GA. I'd like to see both Cessna and Piper continue but they have to move on..

jb

I agree 100% with the above. C and P have done untold damage to GA with their product line.

However we get the leftovers from the American market, and Americans are very conservative, and American aircraft owners are extremely conservative.

If the main market for Cessna and Piper was in Europe, they would have gone the way of Norton, BSA, Enfield, etc, and at about the same time.

Undoubtedly a big factor is the tight regulation in the operating arena, forcing constant costly maintenance which in turn keeps old machines going, thus preserving their secondhand value. However it was easy enough for any enthusiast to keep his BSA on the road (in the good ole' days when you could buy a MOT certificate for a tenner ;) ) and keep the oil constantly topped up - yet the market for these old machines dried up pretty quickly once the competition appeared.