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Aviation History
1967
1967 - 1325.PDF
fllGHT International, 14 December 1967 1009 SPORT AND BUSINESS Cessna in Europe The new 150,000 sq ft factory built by Cessna's French affiliate, Reims Aviation, at Reims Prunay. More details below EUROPE CONTINUES TO BE the biggest export market for theCessna Aircraft Company, now comfortably establishedas the world's largest producer of light aircraft. With the commissioning of an entirely new factory and airfield at Reims Prunay, France, by Cessna's affiliate Reims Aviation, the level of European business should continue to grow. The annual European zone sales and service conference held m Brussels last week was attended by 38 Cessna dealers from 24 countries. The number of sales outlets has grown rapidly since 1963, when Cessna adopted a policy of direct distribution to local dealers. In 1963 there were five distributors and seven dealers, and they sold a total of 115 aircraft. By a significant coincidence, the total number of aircraft sold in 1967—368— is in direct proportion to the increase in the number of sales outlets. It is thus easy to understand the Cessna policy of encouraging new dealer agreements—one which most existing dealers privately regard with mixed feelings but publicly accept cheerfully, acknowledging it to be to the benefit of light aviation at large. (A sixth British dealership, incidentally, has just been arranged—to operate from Fair Oaks, Surrey.) Claimed to be the most modern in Europe, the Reims Prunay factory will put Model 150, 172 and Rocket production under one roof with an output potential of 1,000 aircraft per annum (expected by 1975). The output of French Cessnas has already reached nearly 400 aircraft a year, with a grand total of some 800 built since the operation started in 1963. In the light of the latest expansion (the company is now worth NF3 million), French Government support can be described as positive—the nationalised Nord Aviation still holds a 41 per cent share in Reims Aviation and this has been boosted to match the Cessna bid, which under French law cannot exceed 49 per cent (the remaining ten per cent is owned by French private individuals, including M Pierre Closterman, general manager of the company). At a press conference following the dealers' meeting in Brussels, M Clostermann described the new factory. It was, he said, fully air conditioned and had non-shadow lighting and overhead cranes. Construction had taken only six months from virgin land, and there was now a 3,000ft hard runway; within two years, he hoped, it would be an important general-aviation airfield, with Customs, motel and servicing facilities for air- frames, engines, propellers and electronics. There was room to increase the floor area from the present 150,000 sq ft to nearly 200,000 sq ft. Some 450 workers are employed on assembly, from shaped panels and equipment supplied from Cessna's main plant in Wichita. Reims Aviation looks to a demand for 150 aircraft a year before it can consider buying the assembly jigs and tools from Cessna for another aircraft type. Initial discussions are in hand with the French Air Force for possible production of a twin-engined liaison aircraft; it may be a development of the Cessna 411 with turboprop engines. To fill the Cessna Company's middle-price four-seater gap in Europe, the Reims Rocket has been produced by putting a 210 h.p. Continental IO-360-D (supplied by Rolls-Royce) in a 172 airframe—the same combination as the T.41 produced for the US Army. Plans call for 60 Rockets to be produced in 1968, and dealers have already ordered 39. The price ex-Reims is $17,500 (approximately £8,500 delivered in UK). Reims Rocket data Powerplant: one 210 h.p. Continental IO-310-D and a y-p propeller. Dimensions: span, 36ft 2in; length, 26ft 8.5in; height, 8ft 9in; wing area, 174 sq ft. Weights: gross,2,5001b; basic empty, 1,4101b. Accommodation: four seats plus 20 cu ft baggage or two small seats. Fuel tankage: 43 Imp gal.Performance: take-off to 50ft, 1,180; landing from 50ft; 1,250ft; crtiise speed and consumption, 145 m.p.h. at 5.500ft burning 10.8Imp gal/hr (75 per cent power); 105 m.p.h. at 10.000ft burning 6.2 Imp gal/hr (55 per cent power); service ceiling, 17,500ft. At o European dealers' meeting in Brussels last week Cessna announced the Reims Rocket, to fill the gap in the middle-priced four-seater bracket in their range. (For America the gap-filler will be the new 177/Cardinal, sales of which will be confined to the US market for '968 at least.) The Rocket marries a Model 172 airframe to a 210 h.p. Continental IO-360D. Artist's impression (above left) shows the Rocket to be barely distinguishable from the 172. Left, a cutaway mock-up shows the spacious interior with optional rear bench seat (or two children. Right, logical "T" layout of instruments and good positioning of optional radio and indicators. More details above
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