SKYCOURIER COMMENCES FLIGHT TESTING

摘要

Textron Aviation completed a two hour and fifteen minute test flight for its in-development Cessna SkyCourier turboprop aircraft May 17. During the flight, test pilots evaluated the aircraft’s stability and control, as well as propulsion, environmental, flight controls and avionics systems. In the coming months, subsequent tests utilizing the prototype and other ground test units will continue to evaluate flight controls and aerodynamics. The cargo-configured variant of the clean-sheet turboprop, the SkyCourier 408, will support fleet-modernization for express carriers such as FedEx. FedEx is the launch operator for the Cessna SkyCourier 408 freighter, with an order for fifty units, and options for up to fifty more announced in November 2017. According to FedEx’s most recent Stat Book, the company expects to take delivery of its first SkyCourier 408 beginning in its fiscal year 2021, with the first fifty to be delivered by the end of FedEx’s fiscal 2024. Deliveries, once they commence, are expected at a clip of one aircraft per month. Textron told Cargo Facts the COVID-19 pandemic could affect certification and delivery timelines if suppliers or regulatory agencies face delays.