SAC To Assemble Plane From Cessna Blueprints
ANN REALTIME REPORTING
11.27.07 2100 EST: Tuesday was a busy day for Cessna... as
in addition to buying an aircraft
company, the planemaker also announced it will partner
with a Chinese manufacturer to build its upcoming Model 162
SkyCatcher light sport aircraft.
As ANN reported, Cessna
announced earlier this week it would look overseas to build the
SkyCatcher -- as manufacturing the lower-cost aircraft in the
United States would be cost-prohibitive. Moments ago, Cessna told
ANN it will partner with Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), a
subsidiary of the government-owned China Aviation Industry
Corporation I (AVIC I) consortium of aircraft manufacturers, to
produce the LSA.
Cessna CEO Jack Pelton made the announcement Wednesday in China,
during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in
Beijing.
"The LSA market demands the latest avionics, safety and
reliability, light-weight equipment and a competitive price tag,"
Pelton said.
"Our solution is to partner with SAC, a company with excellent
facilities, state-of-the-art technologies and a workforce highly
experienced in aircraft manufacturing. SkyCatcher customers will
get an advanced design, high-quality workmanship and world-class
product support, all at an affordable price from Cessna, a brand
known and trusted worldwide."
Cessna will design the aircraft and handle ASTM compliance work,
as well as provide on-site personnel to oversee manufacturing,
quality assurance and technical design. SAC will be responsible for
assembling the SkyCatcher.
"SAC greatly values the
cooperation with Cessna, and sees Cessna as a significant partner
in the general aviation segment. Since the start of the cooperation
between the two companies that began in 2003, a good foundation has
been established," said Mr. Luo Yang, Chairman and President of
SAC.
"The communications and exchange of visits between the
management of our two companies have strengthened the trust and
understanding, which leads to today's signing of the Model 162
contract, making SAC the sole source supplier of this great
airplane."
Mr. Lin Zouming, President of AVIC I added, "With the continual
economic growth in China and the changes in China's policies for
general aviation industry, AVIC I has placed strategic importance
on general aviation development and will strongly support and
promote the business."
Founded in 1951, SAC is a civilian and military aircraft
manufacturer with 16,000 employees in Shenyang, China.
Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, Spirit AeroSystems and Singapore
Aerospace are just a few of SAC's clients... though Cessna is the
first company to entrust SAC to build an entire aircraft.
"Through decades of joint production ventures and sub-assembly
ventures with the industry's top manufacturers, SAC has emerged as
the premier aircraft enterprise in China," Pelton said. "That
experience and their outstanding facilities and production
capabilities make them the perfect partner for us on the SkyCatcher
program."
Cessna unveiled a proof-of-concept aircraft in July 2006 to
gauge market response, then announced in July 2007 that it would
proceed with development of an LSA, dubbed the Cessna 162
SkyCatcher. An introductory price of $109,500 will hold for the
first 1,000 orders and then increase to $111,500.
The planemaker says it is approaching 900 SkyCatcher orders.
First flight of the prototype SkyCatcher is set for the first half
of 2008 and deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of
2009. Cessna expects to produce up to 700 a year at full-rate
production.
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