Cessna, Thielert Partner On 172S Turbo Diesel Option; GFC700 Available

Just imagine how cool will it be for a student pilot... on their first cross-country flight... to ask the lineperson to "fill it with Jet-A, please" -- and then point to their Cessna 172!

Cessna announced Thursday at AOPA Expo 2007 it will offer the Thielert turbo diesel engine in its Skyhawk 172S aircraft, with deliveries from the factory set to begin in mid-2008.

The Skyhawk TD (turbo diesel, of course) will feature a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) equipped Thielert Centurion 2.0 liter engine. The DOHC (double overhead camshaft) inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine develops 155 horsepower, is certified to operate on Jet-A fuel, is liquid cooled and drives a composite three-blade constant speed propeller.

"The Skyhawk is already the best-selling, most-flown airplane ever with more than 43,000 delivered, and this option further expands the market due to the worldwide availability of Jet-A fuel," said John Doman, Cessna vice president of worldwide propeller aircraft sales.

Thielert was issued a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the Skyhawk in March, allowing Cessna to offer a factory-installed Thielert engine. The engine features low specific fuel consumption, electronic engine control systems and improved hot-and-high engine performance.

"With the Skyhawk TD, we will incorporate standard aircraft design changes to ensure simple installation and full STC integration," Doman said. "Pilots will enjoy a number of benefits in addition to lower fuel cost, such as simplified engine management and exceptional reliability."

With increased range and endurance, the Skyhawk TD will offer an ideal solution for special mission applications like forestry patrol, wildlife conservation efforts, pipeline/power line patrol, traffic reporting and airborne law enforcement, according to Cessna.

News of a Skyhawk turbo-diesel was not entirely unexpected. As ANN reported, Cessna announced a partnership with Thielert on "future projects" earlier this year.

The 172 TD wasn't the only Skyhawk news Cessna had to share. The planemaker is also making the Garmin GFC700 Automatic Flight Control (AFCS) and Flight Director (FD) system standard equipment on most Skyhawk models, beginning in January 2008.

"We now offer the same fully-integrated, all-Garmin system from the Skyhawk through the Citation Mustang," said John Doman, Cessna vice president of worldwide propeller aircraft sales. "Having the consistency in avionics eases the transition for our pilot owners."

The autopilot function selector will be conveniently located on the Garmin G1000 flight display with the GFC700 capable of using all of the data available within the G1000 avionics system. Among the new navigational features included is all-digital, dual-channel, two-axis flight control -- featuring an attitude-based (versus rate-based) autopilot.

The GFC700 on the Skyhawk also features a Flight Director, offering pitch and roll guidance to show the pilot the attitude for a standard climb or turn. The system also sports Flight Level Change capability --- to ensure the aircraft maintains airspeed while climbing or descending to a pre-selected altitude -- and a Go Around mode.

Additionally, Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) with Lateral Performance, Vertical Guidance approach (LPV) and Vertical Navigation (VNAV) capabilities; Garmin SafeTaxi; and Garmin FliteCharts became standard for the Skyhawk, Skylane and Stationair starting with 2007 models. The Garmin ChartView powered by Jeppesen is optional.

Cessna has a Skyhawk TD on display at Hartford-Brainard Airport throughout AOPA Expo 2007, as well as Skylane, Stationair, Grand Caravan, Citation Mustang and Citation CJ2+ aircraft. In the exhibit hall, Cessna showcases a mock-up of its upcoming 162 SkyCatcher LSA.

FMI: www.cessna.com