Cessna to build light sport plane

Jul. 10--Cessna Aircraft is announcing today that it will launch a program to build a light sport aircraft.

The Wichita planemaker unveiled a concept for a light sport aircraft last year at the annual EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. The plane was mobbed by attendees every day of the show.

The newly emerging light sport aircraft category is the biggest growth sector in aviation, the company has said.

Cessna plans to unveil a large-scale mockup of the plane it will offer customers at this year's AirVenture. The annual event opens July 23 in Oshkosh, Wis.

Cessna is waiting until then to release details of the plane and the program.

In the past year, the company has conducted extensive market research and assessed the business case of moving forward with the plane. Cessna also asked potential customers for input on the plane's avionics, price, financing and support.

There have likely been some design changes made to the aircraft over the past year. Several innovative features have been incorporated, the company said. It did not go into further detail.

The concept aircraft Cessna unveiled last year has a high wing spanning 30 feet, side-by-side seating for two, a tricycle gear and a 100-horsepower engine. It also has dual control sticks, upward opening doors, toe brakes and a castering nose wheel.

While the aircraft will not be a large source of revenue for Cessna, "We're going to sell a lot of them," said Cessna spokesman Doug Oliver.

Cessna said that it estimates a market for 600 of the light sport planes a year as long as the price is kept at about $100,000 or less.

The plane is a natural extension of Cessna's product line, considering its sales, distribution, training and support networks. It could also be key in stimulating people to learn to fly, company officials said.

Officials are not yet saying where the aircraft will be built or assembled. Cessna chief executive Jack Pelton has said that the plane likely would be assembled in the U.S., although many of its piece parts likely would be fabricated around the world.

In 2004, the Federal Aviation Administration put into place sport-pilot and light-sport-aircraft regulations. The new rules included easier and less expensive ways to become a pilot.

Reach Molly McMillin at 316-269-6708 or [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]

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