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Airframe Chute's Failure Forces Real-Live Bail-Out... ANN has learned sume surprising details surrounding the recent loss of a non-conforming flying prototype of the Cessna SkyCatcher LSA during exclusive conversations with personnel from Cessna Aircraft and BRS Parachutes. Cessna's prototype Model 162 SkyCatcher light sport aircraft crashed thursday afternoon near Douglass, KS on what was described as a routine test flight, but a Cessna spokesperson now describes as an extensive evaluation of the aircraft's smpin matrix... this particular test being devoted to "Full-Power, cross-controlled spins." (snip) Cessna has been pretty open adn up-front with the matter, at least to the extend...

Cessna has become the latest airframe manufacturer to tap into China's growing aircraft production expertise, with the US airframer picking AVIC I subsidiary Shenyang Aircraft to assemble its new Model 162 SkyCatcher light sport aircraft (LSA). Under the terms of the agreement, Shenyang will be responsible for aircraft assembly and Cessna will provide on-site personnel to oversee manufacturing, quality assurance and technical design. Cessna will design the aircraft and handle American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) compliance work, and be responsible for sales, distribution, customer service and warranty administration.

The Model 162 SkyCatcher will be Cessna Aircraft Co.'s entry in the Light Sport Aircraft category. Cessna made the announcement and rolled out a full-scale mockup Sunday during the opening day of the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual convention in Oshkosh, Wis. The two-seat airplane has an initial price of $109,500 for the first 1,000 airplanes ordered, then the price will be $111,500. Keeping the airplane in the $100,000 range was one of the goals set by Jack Pelton, Cessna chairman, president and CEO, during the program's development. Cessna announced its LSA program during the 2006 EAA convention and has been...