Cessna rolled out the first production CJ4 Monday, keeping a schedule that will see certification and first deliveries of the aircraft by early 2010. The CJ4 is Cessna’s first new design in several years and incorporates FADEC-equipped Williams FJ44-4A engines, a Collins Pro Line 21 four-screen panel, ADS-B out and all sorts of electronic conveniences. The aircraft seats eight and has a Collins Venue cabin management system with BluRay DVD, HD monitors and XM Radio. Cessna also got some good news from the other end of the product line, Monday.
While it’s usually the manufacturer that announces fleet deals, the University of North Dakota’s aviation program got the word out about its purchase of six new Cessna 172 Skyhawks. The school has added a total of 44 new Skyhawks in the last 18 months and UND spokesman Don Dubuque told AVweb it’s important that this kind of announcement gets attention. “I hope this is good information for an industry that needs positive news on big sales,” Dubuque said. The news from UND isn’t too shabby, either. The school will log 125,000 training hours this year on a fleet of more than 140 aircraft.
