1st Passenger Unit Of Cessna SkyCourier Large-Utility Turboprop Bound For Hawaii

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Western Aircraft subsidiary Lana’i Air will use the first passenger unit of the Cessna SkyCourier ever delivered to connect passengers from Lanai City, Hawaii, to the Hawaiian island of Oahu. (Photo courtesy of Textron Aviation.)

Cessna parent company Textron Aviation has delivered the first passenger unit of its twin-engine Cessna SkyCourier large-utility turboprop. Western Aircraft, Inc. received the plane and will operate it as part of its Lāna’i Air luxury air shuttle service, which connects Lanai City, Hawaii, and the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The SkyCourier is available in either a 19-passenger configuration or a freighter variant with a 6,000-pound (2,720-kilogram), 884-cubic-foot (25-cu-meter) payload.

“The Cessna SkyCourier is well on its way to becoming a legendary aircraft for our company,” says Lannie O’Bannion, Textron Aviation senior vice president of Global Sales and Flight Operations. “It’s highly versatile, with cabin flexibility, payload capability, performance, and low operating costs, and has already proven to be popular around the world.”

Multitalented

Textron says the SkyCourier’s clean-sheet, custom design delivers customers an unmatched value proposition. SkyCourier deliveries began in 2022, with launch customer FedEx receiving the first units as part of an initial fleet order for 50 cargo aircraft with options for 50 more. Customers can purchase the plane with an option to quickly convert from a passenger to cargo configuration using patent-pending quick-release seats and removable bulkheads. Potential customers include corporations, government and law enforcement agencies, military organizations, air ambulance operators, freight haulers, and humanitarian organizations.

In its passenger configuration, the SkyCourier provides large windows and crew and passenger doors and has a maximum range of 920 nautical miles (1,704 kilometers), a maximum payload of 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg), and a baggage volume of 186 cu ft (5.27 cu m). The freighter configuration can handle up to three LD3 shipping containers, includes a rear cargo door, and has a 940-nm (1,741-km) maximum range.

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Textron Aviation lists low operating costs and an impressive return on investment as two positives for customers of its 19-passenger Cessna SkyCourier high-wing turboprop. (Photo courtesy of Textron Aviation.)

Power & Convenience

Both SkyCourier versions are powered by twin wing-mounted Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC turboprop engines with 110-inch (279.4-centimeter) aluminum 4-blade full-feathering McCauley Propeller C779 propellers. Each variant has a maximum cruise speed of 210 KTAS and includes Garmin G1000 NXi avionics with enhanced graphics and split-screen capabilities. Both provide single-point pressure refueling, enabling operators to quickly get the plane back in the air.

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Source: Textron Aviation