Cessna establishes its Sovereignty

The company finalizes development of the Sovereign and prepares it for FAA certification, which is expected late this year.

Engineers at Cessna Aircraft Co. recently conducted the first engine run for the Sovereign. The aircraft's power plant is one of the few remaining systems being tested prior to first flight, which is scheduled for early spring. FAA certification is expected to be awarded in late 2003, with customer deliveries beginning in early 2004.

The Sovereign will be powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW306C engines, each with a takeoff thrust of 5686 lb flat-rated to ISA +15°C, enabling a cruising speed of up to 444 kts. Controlled by dual Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC) systems and using a single-pivot thrust reverser design, the engine has 3000 h HIS and 6000 h TBO maintenance intervals. The company has finalized the design of the aircraft's engine nacelle assembly, which consists of the engine cowling, inlet assembly, throttle quadrant, and thrust reverser. The engines were certified in May 2001 and were installed on the prototype airframe in November.