Cessna Corvalis TTx

Last week at Sun’n Fun in Lakeland, FL Cessna introduced the crowd to its improved Corvalis - the TTx. Although, I was not able to attend Sun’n Fun I have been scouring the net for news and reviews and will do my best to distill this information for you and provide a bit of insight.

The improvements to the Corvalis are very minor and consist of better quality leather interiors, four new paint schemes, and a new Garmin flight deck – the G2000. Now the G2000 is interesting in that it incorporates a touch screen interface rather than the older “knobology” of the G1000. Additionally the units offer –

Garmin G2000 features

• Infrared touch screen instead of surface resistance, which is supposed to be more reliable


• The addition of a multifunction display page for audio and environmental controls


• More intuitive display layouts

Corvalis features

• The availability of a leather wrapped side-stick.


• The addition of an L-3 Trilogy backup glass instrument instead of analog gauges.

Overall I am disappointed with this product announcement as I was hoping for more substantial updates to the product line. However, these are nice features that will add value to an already excellent aircraft. With the speed and range offered by the airframe, I would still recommend the Corvalis to any business looking for a capable 4 place airplane.

Now for the bad news – even with the minor changes to the Corvalis, it will be another 12 months before delivery.

Clear skies and tailwinds!
Mike

Great plane gets an update?

When Cessna acquired the Lancair 350/400 line, it got an excellent light business airplane. Renamed the Covalis, the 400 will take 2 people with baggage over 1000 miles at 235 knots - which would make it faster door to door than an airline for trips up to 900 miles.

Well, Cessna has announced that on March 29th they will be introducing a new product and rumors are that it will be an improved 400. It will be interesting to see what updates have been made and you can look forward to review of the plane, the capabilities, and the possible business applications.

Clear skies and tailwinds
Mike