SKYCATCHER ON TRACK
Cessna says it is still on track to begin deliveries of its Model 162 SkyCatcher during the second half of 2009, despite losing the prototype during flight testing earlier this year. "This schedule matches the timeline announced when the light sport aircraft launched in July 2007," says the airframer. "Since losing the prototype Cessna has moved the first production model to the primary flight test aircraft while another airframe is conducting static testing," it adds. To date the two-seat aircraft has accumulated more than 220h of testing and has secured more than 1,000 orders for the aircraft from individual and flight schools. Of that order total, 35% are from international customers - half based in Europe, says Cessna.
CIRRUS EVS
Cirrus is offering Garmin's first enhanced vision system in its SR20 and SR22 piston singles for the first time. Called Perspective EVS, the system reads data from a Max-Viz EVS 600 multi-sensor system mounted under the left wing and presents it on the multi-function display. Perspective EVS blends visible light with the infrared bands to produce images of terrain and weather. The required hooks to use EVS were already included in the Cirrus 30.5cm (12in) display screens, says Garmin director of aviation Roger Dykmann, but the Max-Viz camera can now be added for $14,900 at Cirrus service centres.
Source: Flight International
