The cessna skycatcher has "no future," says Cessna CEO Scott Ernest. A new Skyhawk costs more than $400,000. Diamond sales have slipped, and light sport isn't catching on with students as expected. Other than Piper, which is seeing a surge in light aircraft sales, one could conclude that the market for flight training aircraft is more or less at rock bottom. Maybe that explains the big interest in a diesel-powered, reman-ufactured 172, an airplane that may not have been taken seriously a few years ago. But Redbird's Redhawk is serious, and it could be the right airplane at the right time. The Redhawk was introduced last year, but many details remained either unre-leased or unknown. Now that Redbird has converted another 172, and has been using the airplanes in its training fleet for a few months, the project is starting to take shape. The first question Redbird had to answer was what. What will it do with a 1970s or 1980s ramshackle airframe to make it a Redhawk? According to Redbird's Roger Sharp, the work orders include new paint, interior, panel, engine, seats and seat rails, glass, control cables and pulleys, and even new rivets and hardware. The paint is simple and tasteful. The interior looks like a new airplane. Because it includes Cessna's new 26-G seats and synthetic leather, there is virtually no difference between the Redhawk interior and a new 172's.
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