3 April 2014
Cessna has stated that all development issues related to the SMA diesel engine in the 182 are resolved and certification is “weeks away.”
The schedule for the aircraft’s development has been delayed by two in-flight engine failures during the test programme so far. It has been a long road since the aircraft was unveiled at AirVenture 2012 in its previous guise as the Turbo Skylane NXT, when we were assured that deliveries for the new diesel 182 were expected to commence in the first quarter of 2013. Instead, the first production flight took place in May 2013, and very soon afterwards FLYER’s Ian Seager flew the developmental airframe, with a full flight test in our April 2013 issue. Cessna’s latest statement is that initial deliveries are now expected this summer.
Joe Hepburn, Textron Aviation senior vice president in charge of piston products, said the development issues have now been identified and fixed and the engine has been test flown extensively since, and in a “much more abusive way.” The end result, he said, is an engine that 182 JT-A buyers can be confident in.
“The 182 JT-A is the key in the Cessna piston line right now and we’re excited to introduce it to the market,” Hepburn said. “There’s been a crowd around the airplane at Sun ‘n Fun and I heard four different languages being spoken.”
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