Cessna seized upon the frankly unmissable opportunity to make a major announcement at this year's Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In at Lakeland, Florida. There it announced that its luxury single-pilot aircraft, the Cessna Corvalis TTX, has entered production. The new aircraft, proclaimed by Cessna to be the "world's fastest fixed-gear aircraft," will replace the old Corvalis TT.
The four-seater aircraft is powered by a turbocharged, fuel-injected, six-cylinder Continental Motor TCM TSIO-550-C engine which maxes out at 310 hp, granting a maximum speed of 235 knots (435 km/h). The aircraft has a usable fuel capacity of 102 US gallons (386 liters) allowing a range of 1,250 nautical miles (2,315 km) at economy-cruise speeds. With a certified ceiling of 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) - Cessna claims the TTX is capable of flying over pesky low-altitude weather systems.
We gather the most notable feature of the TTX is an optional de-icing system known as FIKI - Flight Into Known Icing, which provides a claimed 150 minutes of icing protection with minimal effect upon the TTX's performance. Cessna positions the feature as a potential money-saver, preventing the need to reschedule plans in the event of... known icing, presumably.
Perhaps more fundamental is the upgrade from the TT's avionics suite. The TTX includes the Cessna Intrinzic avionics suite, powered by the Garmin G2000 system and incorporating Garmin's GTC touch controls via a 14.1-inch high-def display. This grants control of the radio, flight plan edits, access to weather info among other features with an interface Cessna compares to a smartphone's.
"The TTX program has been moving steadily along through various certifications and testing phases," said Cessna's TTX business leader, Terry Shriner. "The production lines have begun the bonding processes on the all-composite TTX fuselage, as well as commencing work on the wing skins and internal components."
Varying paint designs and cabin interiors will be among the options. Deliveries are expected to commence by the end of the year. Pricing is not yet clear, though for reference the TT (sales of which have stalled of late) could be had for US$644,500 back in 2010.
Source: Cessna
It might be close to $15)k, but the batteries are going to need replacing more than the motor will. How expensive is the battery pack?
I know the one of the supecars is $120,000 but you need to replace the battery pack every three years at $40,000.
Adding to that, you must not have read closely as this airplane will do well over 200knots. It's pricey, but so are Corvettes and Porsches.
Tell me, Roger Wielgus. How is the electricity for your batteries generated? That's right, by burning fossil fuels. The carbon footprint is going to be lower since power plants are more efficient, but it's definitely not "very little". Combine that with the sheer weight of such a battery pack and the in sustainability of building one (it's more about replacing every existing motor with current technology) in the first place, and it turns out it isn't that good of an idea actually.
What? It's a six cylinder engine. It's extremely rare to find single piston engines outside of walk-behind lawn mowers or other lawn care equipment. Scooters, perhaps. Also you can get much more range per unit of weight using aviation fuel than you can with any current battery system.
1. If electricity is today generated by fossil fuels, it is not the goal of true environmental concerned people as I am. We cannot continue that way. I am an enthusiast of aviation since I was 5 years old. I passed my PPL IR license during the eighties. Now I am 60, and I stopped flying, because I consider it as a egocentric activity which is not necessary to our planet. In the same time, I dream of the rebirth of general aviation, but on a other way, and that's why I believe that Cessna executives are as stupid as were the Kodak ones.