Cessna

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Cessna Aircraft Company is an American general

aviation aircraft manufacturing corporation headquartered in
Wichita, Kansas. Best known for small, piston-powered
aircraft, Cessna also produces business jets. The company is a
subsidiary of the U.S. conglomerate Textron.

Cessna Aircraft Company

In March 2014 Cessna became a brand of Textron

Aviation.[3]

Contents

Type

Subsidiary

Industry

Aerospace

Founded

1927

Founder

Clyde Cessna

Headquarters

Wichita, Kansas, United States

Key people

Scott A. Ernest (CEO from 31

May 2011)[1]

Products

General aviation aircraft

Business jets

3 Aircraft models

Number of
employees

8,500 (2013)[2]

4 Gallery

Parent

Textron Aviation

5 References

Subsidiaries

McCauley Propeller Systems

Website

cessna.com
(http://www.cessna.com/)

1 History
1.1 Chinese production controversy
1.2 200810 economic crisis
1.3 2010s
2 Marketing initiatives
2.1 Company terminology

6 External links

History
Clyde Cessna, a farmer in Rago, Kansas, built his own aircraft and flew it in June 1911, the first person to do so
between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. Cessna started his wood-and-fabric aircraft ventures
in Enid, Oklahoma, testing many of his early planes on the salt flats. When bankers in Enid refused to lend him
more money to build his planes, he moved to Wichita.[4]
Cessna Aircraft was formed when Clyde Cessna and Victor Roos became partners in the Cessna-Roos Aircraft
Company in 1927. Roos resigned just one month into the partnership selling back his interest to Cessna.[5] In
the same year, the Kansas Secretary of State approved dropping Roos's name from the company name.[6]

The Cessna DC-6 earned certification, same day as the stock market crash of 1929, 29 October 1929.[7]
In 1932 Cessna Aircraft Company closed its doors due to the Great Depression.
However the Cessna CR-3 custom racer took its first flight in 1933. The
plane won the 1933 American Air Race in Chicago and later set a new
world speed record for engines smaller than 500 cubic inches by
averaging 237 mph (381 km/h).[8]
Cessna's nephews, Dwane and Dwight Wallace, bought the company
from Cessna in 1934. They reopened it and began the process of
building it into what would become a global success.[9]
The Cessna C-37 was introduced, in 1937, as Cessna's first seaplane

The Cessna DC-6B

when equipped with Edo floats.[10]

1940: Cessna received their largest order to date, in 1940, when
they signed a contract with the U.S. Army for 33 specially
equipped Cessna T-50s. Later in 1940, the Royal Canadian Air
Force placed an order for 180 T-50s.[11]
Cessna returned to commercial production, in 1946, after the revocation
of wartime production restrictions (L-48) with the release of the Model
120 and Model 140. The approach was to introduce a new line of allmetal aircraft that used production tools, dies and jigs rather than the
hand-built process tube-and-fabric construction used before the

A Cessna C-34 at Blackpool (Squires

Gate) Airport in 1950

war.[12][13]
The Model 140 was named, by the US Flight Instructors Association, as the "Outstanding Plane of the Year", in
1948.[14]
Cessna's first helicopter, the Cessna CH-1, received FAA type certification, in 1955.[15]
Cessna introduced the Cessna 172, in 1956. It became the most
produced airplane in history.[16]
In 1960 Cessna affiliated itself with Reims Aviation of Reims,
France.[17] 1963 saw Cessna produce its 50,000th airplane, a Cessna
172.[18]
Cessna's first business jet, the Cessna Citation I performed its maiden
flight on 15 September 1969.[19]
Cessna produced its 100,000th single engine airplane in 1975.[20]

A Cessna 172

In 1985 Cessna ceased to be an independent company. It was purchased by General Dynamics Corporation and
became a wholly owned subsidiary. Production of the Cessna Caravan began.[21] General Dynamics in turn,
sold Cessna to Textron Inc, in 1992.[22]
Late in 2007, Cessna purchased the bankrupt Columbia Aircraft company for US$26.4M and would continue
production of the Columbia 350 and 400 as the Cessna 350 and Cessna 400 at the Columbia factory in Bend,
Oregon.[23][24]

Chinese production controversy

On 27 November 2007, Cessna announced the new Cessna 162 would be made in the People's Republic of
China by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, which is a subsidiary of the China Aviation Industry Corporation I
(AVIC I), a Chinese government-owned consortium of aircraft manufacturers.[25] Cessna reported that by
manufacturing in China, it saved USD$71,000 per aircraft, or about 40% of the cost. A second reason Cessna
gave for moving production was that it had no more plant capacity in the USA at the time.[26]
Cessna received much negative feedback for this decision from Cessna 162 customers and potential customers.
Complaints centered on the recent problems with Chinese production of other consumer products, China's
human rights record, exporting of jobs, and China's less than friendly political relationship with the USA.[27]
The backlash surprised Cessna and resulted in a company public relations campaign to try to explain the
decision from a business perspective and assure customers that quality of the aircraft will not be
compromised.[28] The reaction to the explanations and assurances has been overwhelmingly negative, although
a small number of customers have applauded the production in China.[27]
In early 2009, the company attracted further criticism for continuing plans to build the 162 in China while
laying off large numbers of workers in the USA.[29]

200810 economic crisis

The company's business suffered notably during the Late-2000s
recession, laying off more than half its workforce between January 2009
and September 2010.
On 4 November 2008 Cessna's parent company, Textron, indicated that
Citation production would be reduced from the original 2009 target of
535 "due to continued softening in the global economic environment"
and that this would result in an undetermined number of lay-offs at
Cessna.[30]

Cessna 525 CitationJet

On 8 November 2008, at the AOPA Expo, CEO Jack Pelton indicated that Cessna sales of aircraft to individual
buyers had fallen but piston and turboprop sales to business had not. "While the economic slowdown has
created a difficult business environment, we are encouraged by brisk activity from new and existing propeller
fleet operators placing almost 200 orders for 2009 production aircraft," Pelton stated.[31][32]

Beginning in January 2009, a total of 665 jobs were cut at Cessna's Wichita and Bend, Oregon plants. The
Cessna factory at Independence, Kansas, which builds the Cessna piston-engined aircraft and the Cessna
Mustang, did not see any layoffs, but one third of the workforce at the former Columbia Aircraft facility in
Bend was laid off. This included 165 of the 460 employees who built the Cessna 350 and 400. The remaining
500 jobs were eliminated at the main Cessna Wichita plant.[33]
In January 2009 the company laid off an additional 2,000 employees, bringing the total to 4,600. The job cuts
included 120 at the Bend, Oregon facility reducing the plant that built the Cessna 350 and 400 to fewer than half
the number of workers that it had when Cessna bought it. Other cuts included 200 at the Independence, Kansas
plant that builds the single-engined Cessnas and the Mustang, reducing that facility to 1,300 workers.[34]
On 29 April 2009 the company suspended the Citation Columbus program and closing the Bend, Oregon
facility. The Columbus program was finally cancelled in early July 2009. The company said "Upon additional
analysis of the business jet market related to this product offering, we decided to formally cancel further
development of the Citation Columbus". With the 350 and 400 production moving to Kansas, the company
indicated that it would lay off 1,600 more workers, including the remaining 150 employees at the Bend plant
and up to 700 workers from the Columbus program.[35][36]
In early June 2009 Cessna laid off an additional 700 salaried employees, bringing the total number of lay-offs to
7600 or more than half the company's workers.[37]
The company closed its three Columbus, Georgia manufacturing facilities between June 2010 and December
2011. The closures included the new 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) facility that was opened in August 2008 at
a cost of US$25M, plus the McCauley Propeller Systems plant. These closures resulted in total job losses of 600
in Georgia. Some of the work was relocated to Cessna's Independence, Kansas or Mexican facilities.[38]
Cessna's parent company Textron posted a loss of US$8M in the first quarter of 2010, largely driven by
continuing low sales at Cessna, which were down 44%. Cessna's workforce remained 50% laid-off and CEO
Jack Pelton stated that he expected the recovery to be long and slow.[39]
In September 2010, a further 700 employees were laid off, bringing the total to 8,000 jobs lost. CEO Jack
Pelton indicated this round of layoffs was due to a "stalled [and] lackluster economy" and noted that while the
number of orders cancelled for jets has been decreasing new orders have not met expectations. Pelton added
"our strategy is to defend and protect our current markets while investing in products and services to secure our
future, but we can do this only if we succeed in restructuring our processes and reducing our costs."[40]

2010s
On 2 May 2011 CEO Jack Pelton retired. The new CEO, Scott A. Ernest, started on 31 May 2011.[41] Ernest
joined Textron after 29 years at GE, where he had most recently served as vice president and general manager,
global supply chain for GE Aviation. Ernest previously worked for Textron CEO Scott Donnelly when both
worked at GE.[42]
In September 2011 the Federal Aviation Administration proposed a US$2.4M fine against the company for its
failure to follow quality assurance requirements while producing fiberglass components at its plant in
Chihuahua, Mexico. Excess humidity meant that the parts did not cure correctly and quality assurance did not

detect the problems. The failure to follow procedures resulted in the delamination in flight of a 7 ft (2.1 m)
section of one Cessna 400's wing skin from the spar while the aircraft was being flown by an FAA test pilot. The
aircraft was landed safely. The FAA also discovered 82 other aircraft parts that had been incorrectly made and
not detected by the company's quality assurance. The investigation resulted in an emergency airworthiness
directive that affected 13 Cessna 400s.[43]
Since March 2012, Cessna has been pursuing building business jets in China as part of a joint venture with
Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The company stated that it intends to eventually build all
aircraft models in China, saying "The agreements together pave the way for a range of business jets, utility
single-engine turboprops and single-engine piston aircraft to be manufactured and certified in China."[44][45]
In late April 2012 the company recalled laid-off workers and started new hiring to fill 150 positions in Wichita
as a result of anticipated increased demand for aircraft production.[46]

Marketing initiatives
During the 1950s and 1960s Cessna's marketing department followed the lead of Detroit automakers and came
up with many unique marketing terms in an effort to differentiate its product line from their competitions'.
Other manufacturers and the aviation press widely ridiculed and spoofed many of the marketing terms, but
Cessna built and sold more aircraft than any other manufacturer during the boom years of the 1960s and 1970s.

Company terminology
Cessna marketing terminology includes:
Para-Lift Flaps Large Fowler flaps Cessna introduced on the
170B in 1952, replacing the narrow chord plain flaps then in
use.[47]
Land-O-Matic In 1956, Cessna introduced sprung-steel tricycle
landing gear on the 172. The marketing department chose LandO-Matic to imply that these aircraft were much easier to land and
take off than the preceding conventional landing gear equipped
Cessna 170. They even went as far as to say pilots could do
drive-up take-offs and drive-in landings, implying that flying
these aircraft was as easy as driving a car. In later years some
A 1965 Cessna 150E. The 1964 model
Cessna models had their steel sprung landing gear replaced with
150D and the 150E introduced Omnisteel tube gear legs. The 206 retains the original spring steel
Vision rear windows on the Model
landing gear today.[47]
150
Omni-Vision The rear windows on some Cessna singles,
starting with the 182 and 210 in 1962, the 172 in 1963 and the 150
in 1964. The term was intended to make the pilot feel visibility was improved on the notably poorvisibility Cessna line. The introduction of the rear window caused in most models a loss of cruise speed
due to the extra drag, while not adding any useful visibility.[47]
Cushioned power The rubber mounts on the cowling of the 1967 model 150, in addition to the rubber
mounts isolating the engine from the cabin.
Omni-Flash The flashing beacon on the tip of the fin that could be seen all around.

Open-View This referred to the removal of the top section of the control wheel in 1967 models. These
had been rectangular, they now became rams horn shaped, thus not blocking the instrument panel as
much.
Quick-Scan Cessna introduced a new instrument panel layout in the 1960s and this buzzword was to
indicate Cessnas panels were ahead of the competition.
Nav-O-Matic The name of the Cessna autopilot system, which implied the system was relatively
simple.
Camber-Lift A marketing name used to describe Cessna aircraft wings starting in 1972 when the
aerodynamics designers at Cessna added a slightly drooped leading edge to the standard NACA 2412
airfoil used on most of the light aircraft fleet. Writer Joe Christy described the name as "stupid" and added
"Is there any other kind [of lift]?"[48]
Stabila-Tip Cessna started commonly using wingtip fuel tanks, carefully shaped for aerodynamic effect
rather than being tubular-shaped. Tip tanks do have an advantage of reducing free surface effect of fuel
affecting the balance of the aircraft in rolling manoeuvres.

Aircraft models
Currently Cessna has the following models in production:[49]
Cessna 172 high-wing, single piston-engined, four-seat aircraft
in production since the 1950s. More Cessna 172s have been built
than any other aircraft
Cessna 182 high-wing, single piston-engined, four-seat aircraft
in production since 1996 (was originally produced between 1956
and 1985)
Cessna 206 high-wing, single piston-engined, six-seat utility
aircraft in production since 1962
Cessna 560XL Citation Excel of the
Cessna 208 high-wing turboprop utility aircraft in production
Swiss Air Force
since 1984.
Cessna 400 a turbocharged variant of the Cessna 350, in
production since 2004
Cessna 510 twin-engined very light business jet produced since 2005
Cessna 525 twin-engined light business jet produced since 1991
Cessna 560XL twin-engined small-to-medium business jet produced since 1996
Cessna 680 twin-engined mid-sized business jet produced since 2004
Cessna 750 twin-engined long-range medium business jet aircraft produced since 1996

Gallery

1951 Cessna 195

1979 Cessna 340A

1977 Cessna 404 Titan

II

Cessna 350 at Sun 'n

Fun 2006

Cessna 150s produced

before 1964, such as
this 1962 Cessna 150B,
lacked the later OmniVision rear window

References
1. Grady, Mary (May 2011). "A New CEO For Cessna". Retrieved 31 May 2011.
2. Cessna Aircraft Company (2011). "About Cessna Overview". Archived from the original on 15 January 2013.
Retrieved 2011-10-29.
3. "Textron Completes Acquisition of Beechcraft". Textron. 14 March 2014.
4. Article in "Enid News" (http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_025012803.html)
5. "Cessna Single Engine Fleet". Flying Magazine. April 1962.
6. History of Cessna 1927 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1927-1939.html)
7. History of Cessna from 1929 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1927-1939.html)
8. History of Cessna 1933 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1927-1939.html)
9. Phillips, Edward H: Wings of Cessna, Model 120 to the Citation III, Flying Books, 1986. ISBN 0-911139-05-2
10. History of Cessna 1937 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1927-1939.html)
11. History of Cessna 1940 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1940-1949.html)
12. Flying Magazine: 78. August 1945. Missing or empty |title= (help)
13. History of Cessna 1946 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1940-1949.html)
14. History of Cessna 1948 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1940-1949.html)
15. History of Cessna 1955 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1950-1959.html)
16. History of Cessna 1956 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1950-1959.html)
17. History of Cessna 1960 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1960-1969.html)
18. history of Cessna 1963 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1960-1969.html)
19. History of Cessna 1969 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1960-1969.html)

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History of Cessna 1975 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1970-1979.html)

History of Cessna 1985 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1980-1989.html)
History of Cessna 1992 (http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1990-1999.html)
Textron (November 2007). "Textron's Cessna Aircraft Company to Acquire Assets of Columbia Aircraft". Retrieved
2007-11-28.
Russ Niles (27 November 2007). "Cessna Gets Columbia". Retrieved 2007-11-29.
Textron (November 2007). "Cessna Chooses China's Shenyang Aircraft Corporation as Manufacturing Partner for Model
162 SkyCatcher". Retrieved 2007-11-28.
Russ Niles (27 November 2007). "Skycatcher To Be Made in China". Retrieved 2007-11-29.
Aniello, Tom (December 2007). "Making the case for building the SkyCatcher in China". Archived from the original on
6 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
Grady, Mary (January 2008). "Germany's Remos Aircraft Expanding, Challenges Cessna". Retrieved 2008-01-03.
AvWeb Staff (January 2009). "Cessna Layoffs Continue". Retrieved 2009-02-02.
Grady, Mary F. (November 2008). "Cessna Slows Citation Production, Citing Global Economy". Retrieved 2008-11-06.
Niles, Russ (November 2008). "It's a Buyer's Market". Retrieved 2008-11-08.
Durden, Chris (November 2008). "Cessna Announces Possible Layoffs". Retrieved 2008-11-04.
Niles, Russ (November 2008). "Eclipse Misses Payroll: TV Report". Retrieved 2008-11-13.
Pew, Glenn (January 2009). "Cessna Layoffs Continue". Retrieved 2009-02-02.
Grady, Mary (April 2009). "Cessna Will Suspend Columbus Program, Close Bend Factory". Retrieved 2009-04-30.
Grady, Mary (July 2009). "Goodbye, Columbus Cessna Cancels Extra-Large Jet Program". Retrieved 2009-07-16.
Pew, Glenn (June 2009). "More Layoffs at Cessna". Retrieved 2009-06-08.
Pew, Glenn (December 2009). "Cessna Closing Plants, Cutting Jobs". Retrieved 2009-12-14.
Niles, Russ (April 2010). "Cessna Declines Sap Textron Revenues". Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Grady, Mary (September 2010). "Cessna To Cut 700 Jobs". Retrieved 23 September 2010.
Press release by Cessna Aircraft Company (http://www.cessna.com/MungoBlobs/166/391/CSN_06_08_11com.pdf)
McIllin, Molly (June 2011). "Kansas native named Cessna CEO". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
Pew, Glenn (September 2011). "Corvalis Wing Prompts $2.4 Million Proposed Fine". AVweb. Retrieved 24 September
2011.
Niles, Russ (23 March 2012). "Cessna Wants To Build Jets in China". AVweb. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
Cessna (23 March 2012). "Cessna and AVIC Join Forces to Develop General and Business Aviation in China". Retrieved
26 March 2012.
Grady, Mary (30 April 2012). "Cessna Adds 150 Jobs in Wichita". AVweb. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
Clarke, Bill: Cessna 150 and 152 first edition, pages 517. TAB Books, 1987. ISBN 0-8306-9022-0
Christy, Joe: The Complete Guide to the Single Engine Cessnas Third Edition, page 119. TAB Books, 1979. ISBN 08306-2268-3
Cessna Aircraft (2009). "Aircraft Comparison". Retrieved 31 December 2010.

External links
Company website (http://www.cessna.com/)
PilotFriend.com Cessna company history and aircraft types details
(http://www.pilotfriend.com/aircraft%20performance/Cessna/cessna.htm)
"Patents owned by Cessna Aircraft Company". US Patent & Trademark Office. Retrieved 5 December
2005.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cessna&oldid=700025305"
Categories: Cessna Textron Aircraft manufacturers of the United States
Companies based in Wichita, Kansas Companies established in 1927 Collier Trophy recipients
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