At the end of 1975, Canadair backed the LearStar 600 concept by Bill Lear, and acquired the large business jet or freighter project in April 1976. On 29 October, the programme was launched, backed by the Canadian federal government, and designed to comply with new FAR part 25 standards.

The Challenger is a low-wing jet powered by two turbofans mounted in aft fuselage pods, it has a supercritical wing and a stand-up cabin with two seating sections. The original Lycoming ALF 502 turbofans were replaced by a pair of General Electric CF34s on the CL-601, which also gained winglets, and first flew on 10 April 1982. Subsequent variants have updated systems, avionics, and higher weights.

The Challenger is a twin-engined business jet, described by Flight International as being ‘’miniturised twinjet airliner in every respect’’. While the Challenger is generally similar in configuration to previous aircraft of its type, some of its features stand out; for example, the use of a widened fuselage that allows a "walk-about cabin". The Challenger was also one of the first business jets to be designed with a supercritical wing. The wing was referred by Canadair as being one of the aircraft's most advanced features. It is also capable of performing short takeoffs while maintaining the speed and comfort levels normally associated with larger jetliners. Challengers can be identified visually from their peers by their distinctive double slotted hinged flap arrangement, where the fairings can be seen below the wings, a configuration that was much more common on commercial airliners.

For more details of the development, design and multiple variants, click here.

The specifications below are for the Challenger 650.

Announced in October 1991, it first flew on 13 October 1996, received its Canadian type certification on 31 July 1998 and entered service in July 1999. Initially powered by two BMW/Rolls-Royce BR710s, it shares its fuselage cross section with the Canadair Regional Jet and Challenger 600 with a new wing and tail. The shorter range Global 5000 is slightly smaller and the Global 6000 is updated and has been modified for military missions. The longer range Global 5500/6500 are powered by new Rolls-Royce Pearl engines with lower fuel burn and were unveiled in May 2018. The larger and stretched Global 7500/8000 have longer ranges.

After acquiring Canadair and its Challenger 600 business jet in 1986, Bombardier studied a longer range business aircraft. It aimed to carry eight passengers and four crew over 12,000 km (6,500 nm) at Mach 0.85. During the early 1990s, a joint-definition team was established at the company's Montreal facility. By 1994, the team comprised 200 engineers, evenly divided between Canadair and various partners, including Japanese company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Anglo-German engine manufacturer BMW Rolls-Royce.

The Global Express was the business jet with the largest cabin, until being surpassed by the later Gulfstream G650. It can accommodate 12 to 16 passengers in three cabin sections: mostly a forward four-chair club section, a central four-seat conference grouping and an aft three-place divan facing two chairs. Most have a forward galley, crew rest chair and crew lavatory. The 10.3-psi cabin pressurization maintains a 4,500-ft. cabin altitude up to FL 450 and 5,680 ft. at the FL 510 ceiling. The Global Express and the Gulfstream 650 are very similar in appearance, the distinguishing feature being the Global Express's square windows, versus the Gulfstream's oval windows.Another aircraft of very similar appearance is the Embraer ERJ-135, which also has square windows.

For more details of tghe development, design, operational history and variants of the Global Express, click here.

Specifications below are for the top of the range Global Express 6500.

Scottish Aviation had taken over production of the original Jetstream design from Handley Page and when it was nationalised along with other British companies into British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) in 1978, BAe decided the design was worth further development, and started work on a "Mark 3" Jetstream. As with the earlier 3M version for the USAF, the new version was re-engined with newer Garrett turboprops (now Honeywell TPE331) which offered more power (flat rated to 1,020 shp/760 kW with a thermodynamic limit of 1,100 shp/820 kW) and longer overhaul intervals over the original Turbomeca Astazou engines. This allowed the aircraft to be offered in an 18-seat option (six rows, 2+1), with an offset aisle, and with a water methanol option for the engine to allow the ability to operate at maximum load from a greater range of airfields, particularly in the continental United States and Australia.

The result was the Jetstream 31, which first flew on 28 March 1980, being certificated in the UK on 29 June 1982. The new version proved to be as popular as Handley Page hoped the original model would be, and several hundred 31s were built during the 1980s. In 1985, a further engine upgrade was planned, which flew in 1988 as the Jetstream Super 31, also known as the Jetstream 32. Production continued until 1993, by which time 386 31/32s had been produced. Four Jetstream 31s were ordered for the Royal Navy in 1985 as radar observer trainers, the Jetstream T.3, but were later used for VIP transport.

In 1993, British Aerospace adopted the Jetstream name as its brand name for all twin turboprop aircraft. As well as the Jetstream 31 and Jetstream 32, it also built the related Jetstream 41.

For more details including variants, click here.

The British Aircraft B.A.IV Double Eagle was a British twin-engined six-seater monoplane designed and built by the British Aircraft Manufacturing Company of London Air Park, Hanworth, England.

The Double Eagle was a twin-engined high-wing monoplane with a retractable landing gear, the main gear retracting backwards into the engine nacelles. The first aircraft (Y-1) was powered by two 130 hp (97 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major engines, and it first flew from Hanworth on 3 July 1936, later registered G-ADVV. The second aircraft (G-AEIN) was fitted with two de Havilland Gipsy VIs. Three aircraft were built, although one citation is claimed to say that only two Double Eagles were produced, and that both were impressed by the RAF.

In 1940, the first aircraft (G-ADVV) was impressed into the Royal Air Force as ES949, and was finally used as an instructional airframe by Armstrong-Whitworth, and later Parnall.

On 29 September 1936, the second aircraft (G-AEIN), piloted by Tommy Rose, took off in the Schlesinger Race (from Portsmouth to Johannesburg). It was retired when it suffered damage at Almaza Airfield (Cairo), due to collapse of the undercarriage.  In 1940, it was impressed into the RAF as ES950, and ended its life in 1941 as an instructional airframe.

The third aircraft (ZS-AIY) was sold to the Aircraft Operating Company in South Africa as an aerial surveying aircraft, and was then re-registered ZS-AOC. In 1940, it was impressed into service with 60 Squadron of the South African Air Force as serial number 1415.

Still in production, the Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in the 1960s, over 750 are still in service with commercial operators around the world. The aircraft is also used by the British Army and police forces in the United Kingdom and is a light transport with over 30 military aviation operators around the world.

Through the use of low wing- and span-loading to generate greater effectiveness than conventional counterparts, the Islander could lift considerably heavier payloads than the typical aircraft in its power, weight or cost classes. To reduce manufacturing costs, both the wings and tail surfaces maintain a constant chord and thickness, while the ribs within the aircraft's wing are all identical; both rivets and external fishplate joints are used for the same purpose. The type was originally intended to use a fabric-and-steel design. A light alloy monocoque approach was adopted instead. The structure is designed to give rise to and experience low levels of stress, and has an infinite fatigue life without testing.

The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a high-wing cantilever monoplane with a rectangular fuselage and two wing-mounted engines; early aircraft were equipped with a pair of piston engines while later production models may be alternatively fitted with turboprop engines in their place. The rectangular cross section fuselage, which is furnished with a conventional tail unit and fixed tricycle landing gear, typically accommodates a single pilot and up to nine passengers in a commuter configuration, each row being accessed by its own door; the cabin can be rapidly reconfigured, allowing for a single aircraft to undertake a diverse range of tasks within a minimal period of time. Often referring to the type as "The world's most versatile aircraft", Britten-Norman promotes the Islander's low direct operating costs, minimal maintenance, and its stability in flight as major attributes of the aircraft.

For more details of development, deign and variants, click here.

More formally designated the BN-2A Mk III Trislander, these STOL capable aircraft were produced on the Isle of Wight. They were also produced in Romania, and delivered via Belgium to Britain for their certification. A number of commuter airlines operated the Trislander in scheduled passenger services.

Designed by John Britten and Desmond Norman, the Trislander is a further development of Britten-Norman's better-known Islander aircraft in order to give it a larger carrying capacity. In comparison with the Islander, the Trislander has a stretched fuselage, strengthened, fixed tricycle landing gear and a third engine on the fuselage centre line atop the fin. The Trislander has exceptional low speed handling characteristics, extended endurance, increased payload, low noise signature and economical operating costs. Capable of taking off from a 492-yard long landing strip, the Trislander can readily operate from unprepared surfaces.

The prototype of the Trislander, which was constructed from the original second Islander prototype, first flew on 11 September 1970. The type entered service with the Guernsey-based Aurigny in July 1971. Initial production ceased in 1982 after 73 had been sold and delivered, with a further seven Trislanders unsold, when Pilatus Britten Norman sold a manufacturing license to the International Aviation Corporation (IAC) of Florida. It was planned for IAC to build 12 Trislanders (to be known as Tri-Commutairs) from parts kits supplied by Britten-Norman before undertaking full production,[4] but these plans came to nothing.

Variants

BN-2A Mk III-1

First production version, with short nose.

BN-2A Mk III-2

Lengthened nose and higher operating weight.

BN-2A Mk III-3

Variant certified for operation in the United States.

BN-2A Mk III-4

III-2 fitted with 350 lb rocket-assisted takeoff equipment.

BN-2A Mk III-5

III-2 with sound-proofed cabin, modernised cockpit/interior and new engines (proposed, unbuilt as yet).

Trislander M

Proposed military version, not built.

The Camair Twin Navion was a civil utility aircraft produced in the United States in the 1950s by converting single-engine Ryan Navions to twin-engine power. It had been one of two programs to improve the performance of the otherwise-pleasing Navion that was generally considered to be underpowered. The other program had resulted in the TEMCO-Riley D-16A Twin Navion. The Twin Navion design had been undertaken by the White brothers of White Engineering in San Antonio, Texas. They replaced the Navion's engine with a baggage compartment, mounted two engines within new nacelles attached to the wing leading edges, fitted the aircraft with a new tail fin made of fiberglass, and added tip tanks made from recycled WWII napalm canisters. Designated the WE-1, the prototype and the rights were sold to Camair soon after its first flight in 1953 and Civil Aviation Authority type certification was achieved in May 1955 under the name Camair 480. Sales were slow and Camair built only 25 examples before selling off the rights in 1959. The ownership of these rights would change hands twice again over the following decade but only another eight aircraft would be built after the end of Camair's involvement.

During the late 1960s, the Spanish Air Force was still operating a number of outdated piston-engined transports. In order to meet the Spanish Air Force's needs to modernise its transport force, CASA proposed the C-212, a twin engined 18 seat transport aircraft that would be capable of fulfilling a variety of military roles, including passenger transport, ambulance aircraft and paratroop carrier, while also being suitable for civil use. The first prototype flew on 26 March 1971. In 1974, the Spanish Air Force decided to acquire the Aviocar to update its fleet.

Airlines took note of the type's success with the military, so CASA developed a commercial version, the first examples of which were delivered in July 1975. In August 2006 a total of 30 CASA C-212 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service around the world. The -400 was introduced in 1997 with a glass cockpit and more powerful engines.[6]

In 2010, Airbus Military said it could no longer afford to produce the C212 in Europe and after production in Seville slowed to four in two years, the last C-212 produced in Spain was delivered in late December 2012 to the Vietnam Marine Police. Over 42 years, 477 aircraft have been produced for 92 operators.

he C-212 has a high-mounted wing, a boxy fuselage, and a conventional tail. The tricycle undercarriage is non-retractable. It has space for 21–28 passengers depending on configuration. Since the C-212 does not have a pressurized fuselage, it is limited to relatively low-flight-level airline usage (below 10,000 ft (3,000 m) MSL). It is thus ideal for short legs and regional airline service.

In Australia, the type is operated by the Australian Antarctic Division.

For more details including the 15 variants, click here.

It was the first twin-engine aircraft that Cessna put into production after World War II.

The 310 first flew on January 3, 1953, with deliveries starting in late 1954. The sleek modern lines of the new twin were backed up by innovative features such as engine exhaust thrust augmenter tubes and the storage of all fuel in tip tanks in early models. In 1964, the engine exhaust was changed to flow under the wing instead of the augmenter tubes, which were considered to be noisy.

The 310G was certified in 1961 and introduced the canted wingtip fuel tanks found on the majority of the Cessna twin-engine product line, marketed as "stabila-tip" tanks by Cessna, because they were meant to aid stability in flight. A single side window replaced the rear two windows on the 310K (certified in late 1965), with optional three-blade propellers being introduced as well. Subsequent developments included the 310Q and turbocharged T310Q with a redesigned rear cabin featuring a skylight window, and the final 310R and T310R, identifiable by a lengthened nose containing a baggage compartment. Production ended in 1980.

For more details, including a summary of the numerous variants, click here.

The specifications below are for a 1956 model Cessna 310.

Its engines are mounted in the nose and rear of its pod-style fuselage. Twin booms extend aft of the wings to the vertical stabilizers, with the rear engine between them. The horizontal stabilizer is aft of the pusher propeller, mounted between and connecting the two booms. The combined tractor and pusher engines produce centerline thrust and a unique sound. The Cessna O-2 Skymaster is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster.

The first Skymaster, Model 336 Skymaster, had fixed landing gear and initially flew on February 28, 1961. It went into production in May 1963 with 195 being produced through mid-1964.

In February 1965, Cessna introduced the Model 337 Super Skymaster.[6] The model was larger, and had more powerful engines, retractable landing gear, and a dorsal air scoop for the rear engine. (The "Super" prefix was subsequently dropped from the name.) In 1966, the turbocharged T337 was introduced, and in 1973, the pressurized P337G entered production.

Cessna built 2993 Skymasters of all variants, including 513 military O-2 versions. Production in America ended in 1982, but was continued by Reims in France, with the FTB337 STOL and the military FTMA Milirole.

For more nformation on the design, operational history and many variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the 337D varant.

It was that company's largest twin piston-engined aircraft at the time of its development in the 1970s. Its US military designation is C-28, and Swedish Air Force designation Tp 87.

The Cessna 404 was a development of the Cessna 402 with an enlarged vertical tail and other changes. The prototype first flew on 26 February 1975. It is powered by two 375 hp/280 kW turbocharged Continental Motors GTSIO-520 piston engines. Two versions were offered originally; the Titan Ambassador passenger aircraft for ten passengers, and the Titan Courier utility aircraft for passengers or cargo. By early 1982 seven different variants were available, including a pure cargo version, the Titan Freighter. The Freighter was fitted with a strengthened floor, cargo doors, and its interior walls and ceiling were made from impact-resistant polycarbonate materials to minimize damage in the event of cargo breaking free in-flight.

Variants

Titan Ambassador – Basic 10-seat passenger aircraft.

Titan Ambassador II – Ambassador with factory fitted avionics.

Titan Ambassador III – Ambassador with factory fitted avionics.

Titan Courier – Convertible passenger/cargo version.

Titan Courier II – Courier with factory fitted avionics.

Titan Freighter – Cargo version.

Titan Freighter II – Freighter with factory fitted avionics.

C-28A Titan – Designation given to two aircraft purchased by the United States Navy.

The Model 408 was launched on 28 November 2017 by Textron Aviation, with an introduction planned for 2020. The 408's design was developed to match FedEx Express requirements, like the earlier Cessna 208 Caravan. FedEx Express will be the launch customer, with an order of "50 cargo aircraft and options for 50 more".

Initial wind tunnel tests were completed in March 2018. The first flight was originally planned for 2019 and first deliveries anticipated in 2020. The design will be certified to FAR Part 23 standards. FedEx plans to take monthly deliveries over four years starting in 2020, and a similar pace for a second batch, if it agrees to that option. A full-scale mockup of the 19-passenger cabin was displayed at the October 2018 National Business Aviation Association convention

The mating of the wing and fuselage of the first aircraft was completed in December 2019. By March 2020, initial ground testing was completed, checking the fuel system, engines, avionics interfaces and electrical systems; as first flight was scheduled for mid-year: the development and certification campaign should use six prototypes including ground-test articles.

The SkyCourier is a twin-turboprop, high-wing, utility aircraft. It will be available in a 19-passenger variant with large cabin windows and separate crew and passenger doors, or in a cargo variant sized for three LD3s and 6,000 pounds of payload, featuring a "large cargo door and a flat floor cabin". It will cruise up to 200 kn (370 km/h), with a maximum range of 900 nmi (1,700 km). Single-point refueling will speed turnarounds.

The clean-sheet design should offer better cabin flexibility and payload capability, superior performance and lower operating costs than its competitors. The airframe will be built from traditional aluminum materials and will be equipped with proven Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65 engines, fixed landing gear and Garmin G1000 avionics. The non-pressurized cabin will be 70 in (178 cm) tall and wide, with a flat floor and a 87 in (221 cm) cargo door.

To visit the Textron SkyCourier web page to follow progress, click here.

Engine test run

Initial ground run

It was that company's largest business aircraft to enter production when it first flew in 1962.

The 411 is an eight-seat low-wing twin-engined cabin monoplane retractable landing gear and an airstair entrance door. It has two 340 hp (254 kW) Continental GTSIO-520-C engines with three-bladed propellers. It has a retractable tricycle landing gear and an airstair door. The prototype first flew on 18 July 1962. During 1965 Cessna developed two generally similar and lower-cost versions, the Model 401 and Model 402. Production of the 411 finished in 1968. A pressurized version of the 411 was developed as the Cessna 421.

Variants

Cessna 411

Production variant, obtained type certificate awarded in 1964, 252-built.[1][2]

Cessna 411A

A 411 with larger nose baggage capacity but the same overall length fuselage and optional tanks in engine nacelles, type certificate awarded in 1967, 50 built.

The Cessna 414 is an American light, pressurized, twin-engine transport aircraft built by Cessna. It first flew in 1968 and an improved variant was introduced from 1978 as the 414A Chancellor.

The pressurized 414 was developed to appeal to owners of unpressurized, twin-engined aircraft, and was based on the fuselage of the Cessna 421 and used the wing design of the Cessna 401. The 414 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional tail unit and a retractable tricycle landing gear. It is powered by two wing-mounted 310 hp (231 kW) Continental TSIO-520-J horizontally opposed, six-cylinder engines. The prototype, registered N7170C, first flew on 1 November 1968, and production aircraft were available in a number of optional seating arrangements and avionics packages. The name Chancellor was used for models marketed from 1976. An improved variant the Cessna 414A Chancellor was introduced in 1978 with the major change being a redesigned and increased-span wing with integral fuel tanks and an extended nose to give more baggage space.

Modifications
Many supplemental type certificates exist for the aircraft that allow upgrades to improve performance. Common are engine and aerodynamic modifications, including winglets.

In 1974, American Jet Industries built a turboprop-powered conversion of the Cessna 414, named the Turbo Star Pressurized 414, using Allison 250-B17B engines. Scenic Airlines of Las Vegas purchased the rights to the design in 1977.

Thielert has offered engine conversions using their Centurion Engines. This involves the installation of FADEC-controlled aviation diesel piston engines that run on commonly available jet fuel. Thielert claims increased power and improved fuel economy over other available conventional piston engines.

Variants

414
Initial production variant, 516 built
414A Chancellor
Improved 414 with narrower vertical tail, longer span bonded wet wing without tip tanks, a lengthened nose, redesigned landing gear, and powered by two 310 hp (231kW) TSIO-520-N engines, 554 built.
Riley Rocket 414
Conversion of Cessna 414 aircraft by fitting two 400 hp Lycoming IO-720 engines

The Cessna 421 was first produced in May 1967, the 1968 model year. It had "Stabila-Tip" fuel tanks on the wingtips (like the Cessna 310). Its electro-mechanical landing gear are similar to that of the 310. It was an immediate hit, selling 200 planes in its first year.

The very next year, 1969, the design was refined, with a three-inch stretch of the fuselage, five more gallons of fuel capacity, and a 40-pound increase in gross weight. The plane was redesignated the Cessna 421A.

In 1971 the design was again improved. Both empty and gross weight increased, the wingspan was increased by two feet, raising the service ceiling by 5,000 feet. The nose was stretched two feet to accommodate a larger nose baggage section. This new plane is designated the Cessna 421B.

In 1975 the plane was offered with a package of equipment enabling flight into known icing conditions.

In 1976 the 421C appeared which featured wet wings, the absence of wingtip fuel tanks and landing gear that was changed from straight-leg to a trailing-link design from the 1981 model year onwards. Production ended in 1985 after 1,901 aircraft had been delivered.

The 421 was first certified on 1 May 1967 and shares a common type certificate with models 401, 402, 411, 414 and 425.

Some 421s have been modified to accept turboprop engines, making them very similar to the Cessna 425, which itself is a turboprop development of the 421.

The 421 is an all-metal low-wing cabin monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear, and powered by two geared[a] Continental GTSIO-520-D engines, wing-mounted in tractor configuration. The cabin is accessed from a door, on the left hand side behind the wing, and has seating for six on the basic 421, or up to ten on later variants.

For details of the variants, click here.

Specifications below ae for the 421C model.

It was developed in November 1974, with the first aircraft delivered in September 1977. It is a pressurized, 8–9 passenger turbine development of the Cessna 404 Titan.

The original design from 1972 for this aircraft was known as the Model 435 and was to be powered by Continental GTSIO-520X engines with three bladed propellers. By 1975 the designed evolved into the turboprop powered Model 441. It was certified by the FAA on August 19, 1977. Cessna renamed the model 441 the Conquest II in 1983. 1984 models starting with constructor number 195 used lighter weight four-bladed McCauley propellers. A 441 with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-112 turboprops was flown in 1986 but did not enter production. A smaller aircraft was marketed as the Cessna 425 Conquest I, itself a turbine development of the Cessna 421.

In Summer 2007, Cessna limited the Conquest II to 22,500 hours of air time for US for air carriers, an advise only for private operators.[4] Cessna built 362 units from 1977 through 1986.

It cruises at 316 kn (585 km/h) TAS while burning 480 lb (220 kg) of fuel per hour at FL290, while maximum range is 2,000 nmi (3,700 km) at 260 kn (480 km/h) TAS and 310 lb (140 kg)/h at FL350. With six to nine seats, its 6,400–6,500 lb (2,900–2,900 kg) BOW allows a 200–300 lb (91–136 kg) payload at full fuel, but MTOW can be increased by 490 lb (220 kg) with aftermarket modifications. Most have been upgraded from twin Garrett TPE331-8s engines to -10s for better climb performance, a ceiling raised to FL350 from FL330, and TBO raised from 3,000 to 5,000h for $225,000 per engine.

Converting from the standard three blade propellers to smaller diameter Hartzell four blade propellers results in a climb rate improved by 200 fpm (1.01 m/s) and a 5 kn (9.3 km/h) increase in cruise speed as well as reducing cabin noise and improving ground clearance. The aircraft has a retractable tricycle landing gear and has a ground roll of 1,785 ft (544 m) on takeoff. The high aspect ratio wings use bonded construction techniques.

The ICAO designator for the Cessna Conquest as used in flight plans is C441.

The Fanjet 500 prototype first flew on September 15, 1969 and it was certified as the Citation on September 9, 1971, upgraded in 1976 as the Citation I and a single pilot variant, production ended in 1985 after 689 deliveries. Powered by JT15D turbofans, the straight wing aircraft was developed into the Citation II/Bravo.

The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-1 turbofan engines after Cessna's experience with the T-37 Tweet twinjet trainer. Turbofan rather than turbojets and straight wings rather than swept wings made it cruise slowly compared to other business jets and Learjet salesmen mocked it as the “Nearjet” vulnerable to “bird strikes from the rear”; Cessna renamed it the “Citation” after the thoroughbred but it was nicknamed as “Slowtation”.

In early 1976, its wing span grew from 43.9 to 47.1 ft (13.4 to 14.4 m).[5] It also gained thrust reversers and higher gross weights. The enhanced Citation I was introduced later in 1976 with higher weights, JT15D-1A engines and an increased span wing. The 501 Citation I/SP, certificated for single pilot operations, was delivered in early 1977. Production ended in 1985, it was developed into the Citation II/Bravo and the Citation V/Ultra/Encore. Over 690 Citations, Citation Is and I/SPs were built between 1971 and 1985.

The Cessna AT-17 Bobcat or Cessna Crane is a twin-engined advanced trainer aircraft designed and made in the United States, and used during World War II to bridge the gap between single-engined trainers and larger multi-engined combat aircraft. The commercial version was the Model T-50, from which the military versions were developed.

In 1939, three years after Clyde Cessna retired, the Cessna T-50 made its first flight, becoming the company's first twin-engine airplane, and its first retractable undercarriage airplane. The prototype T-50 first flew on 26 March 1939, and was issued Approved type Certificate 722 on 24 March 1940.

The AT-8, AT-17, C-78, UC-78 and Crane were military versions of the commercial Cessna T-50 light transport. The Cessna Airplane Company first produced the wood and tubular steel, fabric-covered T-50 in 1939 for the civilian market, as a lightweight and lower cost twin for personal use where larger aircraft such as the Beechcraft Model 18 would be too expensive. A low-wing cantilever monoplane, it featured retractable main landing gear and trailing edge wing flaps, both electrically actuated via chain-driven screws. The retracted main landing gear left some of the wheels extended below the engine nacelle for emergency wheel-up landings. The wing structure was built around laminated spruce spar beams, truss-style spruce and plywood ribs, and plywood wing leading edges and wing tips. The fixed tailwheel is not steerable, but can be locked straight. The Curtiss Reed metal fixed-pitch propellers were soon replaced with Hamilton Standard 2B-20-213 hydraulically-actuated, constant-speed, non-featherable propellers. Power was provided by two 225 hp (168 kW) Jacobs L-4MB engines rated at 245 hp (183 kW) for takeoff. Production began in December 1939.

Cessna had developed the T-50 as a 3-passenger mini airliner in the late 1930s, but it likely would have been a forgotten experiment if not for the training and light-transport needs of the U.S. Army during World War II. Over 5,000 frames were built and hundreds were made available after the war to civilian operators. Their radial engines were easy to maintain, and the lightweight framing of steel tubing, wood stringers, and fabric covering allowed for slow takeoff and landing speeds. It was a versatile and easy-to-fly aircraft that helped start many carriers in the 1940s and 1950s.

For details of operational history and the large number of variants, click here.

Launched at the 2002 NBAA convention, it first flew on 23 April 2005. It received its FAA type certification September 8, 2006, was first delivered on November 22. Production ended in 2017 after 479 aircraft were built.

The Mustang is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a swept wing, T-tail and retractable tricycle gear. One main door is located in the forward left section of the aircraft, with an additional emergency exit on the center right section of the fuselage. The Mustang, in standard configuration, has four passenger seats in the aft cabin, a toilet, and seating for two in the cockpit. The airframe is primarily of aluminum alloy construction, with a three spar wing. Power is provided by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F turbofans, mounted in pods on the aft fuselage. It was built at the Cessna production facility in Independence, Kansas.

Like many other light jets, the Mustang is approved for single-pilot operation.

The original Cessna 303 Clipper was first flown on February 14, 1978;[2] it was a low-wing four-seat Lycoming-powered twin-engined aircraft that would have competed with the Piper Seminole, Gulfstream American GA-7 Cougar, and Beechcraft Duchess. After market demand for four-place light twins declined, only one 303 Clipper was built before Cessna redesigned the aircraft as a six-seat twin. They also renamed the aircraft out of legal concern, since Pan Am Airlines held the trademark on the name "Clipper" in reference to their fleet aircraft.

The new model, designated the T303 Crusader first flew on October 17, 1979, with the first deliveries being made in October, 1981. The T303 is an all-metal low-wing six-seat twin-engined aircraft with a retractable tricycle undercarriage. At the time, it was the first all-new production twin built by Cessna in over a decade. With a declining market, only 297[1] were built.

Examples were exported to Europe, with several still operating in the United Kingdom in 2012 and two flying in Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia. Many are still flying in Colombia in air taxi and private operations.

Several companies and groups have developed a series of designs which began at an offshoot of the Trod Kuznetsov aircraft engine plant in Samara. Beginning with the L-3, they differ in size and engine type but all are twin engine amphibians with a characteristic V tail. The L-4 is a direct development of the L-6M, promoted by AeroVolga. Its design began in August 2004.

All L-4 variants have the same layout and all are largely built of composite materials. They are high-wing monoplanes with twin engines mounted close to the fuselage, on top of the wing. The wings have straight taper on both edges and almost square tips. The L-4 has a pair of flaps on each wing. Its hull has two steps and there are small winglets at waterlevel just aft of the trailing edge. The cabin extends from below the leading edge rearwards to the winglets. Fixed floats under the wings stabilize the L-4 on water; it is operable with waves to 400 mm (15 in) high. The most unusual feature of the L-4 is the empennage arrangement: it has twin fins, mounted on the fuselage and extended forward with long, curved dorsal fillets, separated at the base by the full fuselage width and leaning slightly outwards. The fins carry conventional rudders and the single tailplane is mounted upon the fin tips, extending well beyond them. Tailplane and single piece elevator together are trapezoidal; there is a trim tab at the centre of the elevator. The reason for the design is that the spine serves as a walkway to access the plane from behind, when moored at shore. The L-4 has a conventional undercarriage for land use, all three wheels and the water rudder being retractable.

Variants

L-4

Original design, no longer produced.

L-42

Improved, with Rotax 912 ULS flat four 73.3 kW (98.6 hp) engines.

L-42M

Further improvements: weight savings, winglets, crew ergonomics. Marketed by Aviatech1.com.

L-44

More powerful Rotax 914 engines, as detailed below. First flown 2009.

The Lancer first flew in 1961 and production began in 1963. The Lancer seats two in a tandem configuration with dual flight controls; the pilot in command or student pilot normally occupies the front seat.

The Lancer achieved its goal of being the least expensive American-built twin engine airplane. Other design goals included simplicity, ease of maintenance, low operating costs, and the ability to operate from rough or unimproved strips. The high wing and high engine position give good propeller clearance in achieving that last goal. The Lancer is of metal tube construction with fiberglass covering and has fixed landing gear and propellers.

The Lancer was designed specifically for flight schools seeking an inexpensive way to train students for a multi-engine rating, a role in which the craft's modest performance and payload were anticipated to matter little. To increase its appeal to flight schools, the Lancer was equipped with a mock landing gear retraction switch that operates green “safe” and red “unsafe” lights in the cockpit, allowing a student pilot to feign operation of imaginary "retractable" (it was permanently fixed) landing gear on takeoff and landing during instructional flights In a peculiar combination, the front seat was equipped with a control yoke, while the rear-seat pilot had a centre stick. Both seats were equipped with engine controls mounted overhead, with solo flight being performed from the front seat. Braking was controlled with a lever on the right-hand side of the front-seat instrument panel; differential braking was not possible, and no brake controls were provided for the rear-seat pilot. Other features included single-slotted wing flaps with 4 adjustment positions, and pilot-adjustable trim tabs for the elevator and rudder; elevator trim was adjusted using a sidewall-mounted lever.

The prototype Lancer underwent development between 1961 and the start of production in 1963. The changes included relocating the engine nacelles to their final position above the wing, strengthening the wings to accommodate the engines, and redesigning the empennage to provide for twin-engine control requirements. The Federal Aviation Administration type certificate was approved on 7 March 1963.

The name Cri-Cri comes from the nickname of Christine, one of Colomban's daughters.'Cri-cri' 'or 'cricri' is also the French term for the sound of a cricket or a cicada, or an informal name for the insects themselves, but it is unclear if this double meaning was intended by Colomban himself.

The Cri-Cri features a cantilever low-wing, a single-seat enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed tricycle landing gear and twin engines mounted on pylons to the nose of the aircraft in tractor configuration. The aircraft is made from aluminum sheet glued to Klegecell foam. Its 4.9 m (16.1 ft) span wing employs a Wortmann 21.7% mod airfoil, and has an area of 3.1 m2 (33 sq ft). The aircraft is also capable of aerobatics within the limitations of twin-engined aircraft.

Variants

MC-12 Cri-Cri

Model with a cruising speed of 185 km/h (100 knots, or 114.9 miles per hour) and range of 500 km (310.6 standard miles, 270 nautical miles).[citation needed]

MC-15 Cri-Cri

Model powered by two JPX PUL 212 15 horsepower (11 kW) engines.

MC-15 Cri-Cri Jet

Model powered by two PBS VB TJ20 210 newtons (47 lbf) turbojet engines.

Willard Custer filed a United States patent in 1929 for a wing design incorporating a semi-circular channel or "half barrel" shape in which an engine was to be fitted in pusher mode. Custer claimed that this layout, the channel wing, which gave STOL operating capabilities, resulted in a design "which is an aircraft not an airplane. It does not plane the air to fly, rather it brings the air to the lift surfaces and reduces pressure to fly at 8 to 11 mph".

The CCW-5 accommodated five persons, and its power plants are suspended in the centre of the 6 ft-chord wing channels on tubular frameworks attached to the wing spars. The aircraft draws air through the channels at high velocity, decreasing pressure over the wings and increasing lift. The CCW-5 was claimed to be capable of flying at a sustained speed of 35 mph. Production deliveries were scheduled to commence during 1965, but this was never achieved.

For more details of the development and operational history, click here.