Textron Aviation has unveiled the Cessna Denali, one year after announcing it would bring a clean-sheet design single engine turboprop (SETP) to market. A mockup of the aircraft’s cabin is on display alongside a mockup of GE Aviation’s all new advanced turboprop engine at Textron Aviation’s chalet this week during the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh.
The Cessna Denali name is intended to reflect the “rugged, yet refined qualities” of the high-performance single engine turboprop aircraft. The programme is targeted to achieve first flight in 2018.
The Denali is being designed to achieve cruise speeds of 285 knots and full fuel payload of 1,100 pounds. It will have a range of 1,600 nautical miles at high-speed cruise with one pilot and four passengers and will be able to fly from Los Angeles to Chicago, New York to Miami, or London to Moscow.
The Denali will be powered by GE’s new advanced turboprop engine. The FADEC-equipped, 1,240 shaft horse power (SHP)-rated turboprop engine will ease pilot workload with its single-lever power and propeller control. The airplane will be equipped with McCauley’s new 105-inch diameter composite, 5-blade, constant speed propeller, which is full feathering with reversible pitch and ice protection. The engine is designed to provide an initial 4,000 hour time between overhaul and outstanding hot/high capability.
The Denali will feature the Garmin G3000 intuitive touchscreen avionics suite and will include high-resolution multifunction displays and split-screen capability. The G3000 flight deck will include weather radar, advanced Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS), and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) capabilities, which will make it compliant with a significant aspect of future Next Generation air traffic control requirements.
The aircraft will feature a 53-inch wide by 59-inch high aft cargo door. The cabin will offer a standard seating configuration of six individual reclining seats, with a nine-place high-density seating option.