Cessna Aircraft Co. announced Jan. 10 that the Grand Caravan EX has been granted a type certificate. Photo courtesy Cessna.
Certification testing can sometimes yield pleasant surprises. Such was the case with the latest edition of the Grand Caravan from Cessna Aircraft Co.
The Wichita, Kan., airplane manufacturer announced Jan. 10 that the Grand Caravan EX exceeded performance expectations by a considerable margin during certification testing, delivering a 38-percent improvement in rate of climb compared to the Grand Caravan. A 20-percent increase had been expected.
The company announced the new model at EAA AirVenture last year, and deliveries have begun.
"When we started with this design, we knew we could push the performance envelope on the Grand Caravan EX and get it into service for our customers in “high-and-hot’ missions, but the performance we’ve realized through the certification process with the new Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 engine has truly exceeded our already aggressive performance targets," said Lannie O’Bannion, Cessna business leader for the Caravan, in a news release.
The Grand Caravan EX is among six new or upgraded models that Cessna will deliver in 2013, the company said.
Jim Moore
Related Articles
