Aircraft Ownership

Cessna's new piston single makes first production flight

By Jim Moore

Cessna announced the first flight of a production TT^x took place March 2 in Kansas. Cessna photo.

Able to cruise across the continental United States with a single fuel stop, climb to 25,000 feet, and deliver an expected top speed of 235 knots, the much-anticipated Cessna TT^x (announced in 2011 as the Corvalis TTx), made its first production flight March 2. The new model was covered in detail in the September 2012 edition of AOPA Pilot.

Lifting off from the Cessna factory in Independence, Kan., the TT^x climbed to 17,000 feet and reached 213 knots on this flight, the first by a production aircraft, with Brian Steele, Cessna’s business leader for the TT^x, highlighting “nimble” handling and speed in a news release.

“It's the world's fastest fixed gear, single engine piston aircraft in production,” Steele said. “Pilots who like to go fast and go in style are going to enjoy the TT^x."

Cessna began production of the TT^x in 2012, and announced the new model in 2011. The aircraft has logged 275 flights and 339 hours during development.

The TT^x will be the first aircraft equipped with Garmin 2000 avionics with 14.1-inch displays and touch-screen controls. The package includes Garmin’s Electronic Stability Protection (ESP) system, a feature designed to help pilots remain within the flight envelope. The four-seat interior is stitched leather, and comfort is important in an airplane able to cross the continental U.S. on one stop with fuel-efficient settings.

“This program has many passionate followers, and this is a moment we've all been eagerly anticipating,” said Jodi Noah, Cessna's senior vice president of single engine/propeller aircraft, in a news release.

The base price for the standard TT^x is $733,950, an increase of $950 since the model was first announced, and a Cessna spokesman said the absence of “Corvalis” from the latest TT^xannouncement is deliberate. The company website still uses the “Corvalis” name, but the company is shifting away from that and will call the new model the Cessna TT^x. The new aircraft is an update of the Columbia 400, which became the Cessna 400 TT (Twin Turbo) following Cessna’s acquisition of Columbia Aircraft.

March 7, 2013