WICHITA, Kan., June 16, 2009 – Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced an agreement with the Turkish SSM (Undersecretariat for Defence Industries of the Ministry of National Defence) for 46 new 182 Turbo Skylane single-engine piston aircraft.

The aircraft will be used by the Turkish Land Forces (TLF) and will replace the existing fleet of Cessna T41 aircraft in operation for some 30 years. The T41 is a military aircraft designation for a variant of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk.

“The new Turbo Skylanes equipped with the latest Garmin G1000 avionics, terrain and traffic awareness systems and Amsafe airbags will improve the TLF’s operational capabilities, mission flexibility and safety while retaining the robust reliability and simple, low-cost maintenance for which Cessna is renowned,” said Bob Gibbs, Cessna’s director of International Sales.

The Turbo Skylane is an all-metal, single-engine piston, high-wing monoplane with a four-person seating capacity including a crew of one or two. It is powered by a Textron Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A engine and is fitted with the Garmin G1000 avionics package that includes the recently certified Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT). The Turbo Skylane travels as fast as 176 knots (202 miles per hour) with a range of 971 nautical miles.

Source: Cessna