Twins in an Ever-Changing Business Aviation World, Turboprops
Textron is betting big 16 with the Cessna Denali that turboprops have a solid future. Twins Dornier Seastar After several years of uncer- tainty, the centerline push-pull, all-composite amphibian twin appears back on track after the Dornier family formed a new joint venture (Dornier Seawings) to manufacture the aircraft with China’s Wuxi Industrial Development Group and the Wuxi Communications Industry Group. It then struck a deal in February this year for component airframe parts for the first 10 aircraft to be manu- factured at Diamond Aircraft’s by Mark Huber plant in London, Ontario, and shipped to Dornier Seawings in 16 Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, In an ever-changing business aviation world, turboprops for final assembly. Produc- represent timeless value in a steady market segment. tion eventually will be shifted to China. The interior of the Seastar Perhaps it is appropriate that things do not move very fast in the turboprop segment. Consider this: can be tailored to many dif- the Dornier Seastar first flew in 1984, was certified in 1991 and apparently will at last enter production ferent operations: personal, later this year. Or that Cessna, after dipping its toes in the pressurized turboprop single market for the commercial, government or better part of a decade, finally decided to jump into the pool this year—with the Denali—and likely will corporate missions. It fea- tures a light and spacious have an aircraft to customers by 2020. Or India’s NAL Saras. After three decades of development, two cabin that can be equipped flying prototypes and reportedly nearly half a billion dollars, the Indian government finally decided to with various configurations, pull the financial feeding tube and kill it.
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