Beechcraft Denali

Last updated

Denali
Beechcraft 220 (7-28-2023).jpg
Beechcraft Denali at 2023 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
Role Turboprop aircraft
National originUnited States
Manufacturer Textron Aviation
First flightNovember 23, 2021 [1]
StatusUnder development
Number built2 [2]

The Beechcraft Denali, [3] also known as the Model 220 [2] and previously the Cessna Denali and Textron "Single Engine Turboprop" (SETP), is an American single engine turboprop aircraft under development by Textron Aviation. Announced at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015, the aircraft is a completely new design, not derived from any existing aircraft. [4] It should compete with the Pilatus PC-12 and Daher-Socata TBM, as well as other new projects such as the One Aviation Kestrel K-350 and the CAIGA Primus 150. [5]

Contents

Development

In November 2015, GE Aerospace announced its General Electric Advanced Turboprop (ATP) (now General Electric Catalyst) had been selected to power the aircraft. [6] On 23 May 2016 Textron announced the SETP performance and cabin details. [7] At the 2016 AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the project was named Cessna Denali. [8] In May 2017, after testing with a fuel system ground testing rig and the propeller, Textron announced it had started building static and fatigue test articles, including the aft cargo door. Flight testing was to begin in the third quarter of 2018, followed by certification in 2019. [9] [10]

In February 2018, assembly of the first prototype was underway in Wichita. Its first flight was scheduled to occur before the end of the year. [11] By then, its unit cost was $4.8 million, and service entry was scheduled for 2020. [11]

In May 2018, ground tests continued, and all major components were being fabricated, including the nose, fuselage, wings and the tail cone. [12]

Three flying prototypes were being completed for an intended first flight scheduled for early 2019. [13] [14]

By October 2018, the first prototypes fuselages and flight controls were nearly complete, and wings were starting to be constructed towards a 2020 certification. [15] By October 2019, the first flight was pushed back by GE Catalyst testing delays, with Textron expecting its first turboprop in 2020. [16]

By July 2021, the turboprop engine was to have its maiden flight in a King Air 350 testbed aircraft in the coming months. The engine's certification was scheduled for late 2022. [17] A Catalyst engine was installed on a Denali airframe to make its first flight before year-end and to achieve aircraft certification in 2023. [17]

On November 23, 2021, the Denali made its first flight from Textron Aviation's facilities in Wichita, Kansas. [1] The 2-hour and 50-minute flight reached 180 kn (330 km/h) and an altitude of 15,600 feet. [18] The certification program will use two additional flight prototypes and three ground test airframes. [19] The second prototype first flew in mid-June 2022 and joined the test program. [20]

By May 2023, the prototypes had completed 540 flights and 1,300 flying hours. Textron confirmed the Garmin emergency autoland feature was operating correctly, but certification was pushed back to 2025 due to certification delays in the GE Catalyst engine program. [21]

In 2023, the aircraft's equipped price was forecasted to be $6.45M. [22]

Design

Denali fuselage mockup at 2022 NBAA-BACE. Beechcraft Denali mockup (10-20-2022).jpg
Denali fuselage mockup at 2022 NBAA-BACE.

Cabin altitude at 31,000 ft (9,400 m) should be 6,130 ft (1,870 m). [7] Its cabin is 58×63 in (147×160 cm) tall and wide with a flat floor, 3 inches (7.6 cm) wider than its closest competitor; the 59×53 in (150×135 cm) tall by wide cargo door is larger than the PC-12's 53×52 in (135×132 cm) door. [23]

Metal bonding makes the wings more resistant to fuel leaks and automatic drilling saves some labor. [15] The cabin is precisely mated to other structures thanks to routing and pin-locating tools. [15] To lower the number of holes and fasteners needed, large parts like the wing spar and main doors are monolithically machined from a single aluminum billet, or chemically milled like the titanium firewall. [15]

In May 2023 the manufacturer announced that the aircraft will be delivered with Garmin Emergency Autoland as standard equipment. [24]

Specifications

Data from Textron [25]

General characteristics

Performance

Avionics

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related Research Articles

Beechcraft is an American brand of civil aviation and military aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of Beech Aircraft Corporation, an American manufacturer of general aviation, commercial, and military aircraft, ranging from light single-engined aircraft to twin-engined turboprop transports, business jets, and military trainers. Beech later became a division of Raytheon and then Hawker Beechcraft before a bankruptcy sale turned its assets over to Textron. It remains a brand of Textron Aviation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cessna</span> Aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of Textron

Cessna is an American brand of general aviation aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of the Cessna Aircraft Company, an American general aviation aircraft manufacturing corporation also headquartered in Wichita. The company produced small, piston-powered aircraft, as well as business jets. For much of the mid-to-late 20th century, Cessna was one of the highest-volume and most diverse producers of general aviation aircraft in the world. It was founded in 1927 by Clyde Cessna and Victor Roos and was purchased by General Dynamics in 1985, then by Textron, Inc. in 1992. In March 2014, when Textron purchased the Beechcraft and Hawker Aircraft corporations, Cessna ceased operations as a subsidiary company, and joined the others as one of the three distinct brands produced by Textron Aviation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cessna 208 Caravan</span> Family of utility transport aircraft

The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargomaster freighter variant was developed for FedEx. The 4 ft (1.2 m) longer 208B Super Cargomaster first flew in 1986 and was developed into the passenger 208B Grand Caravan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6</span> Turboprop aircraft engine family by Pratt & Whitney Canada

The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 is a turboprop aircraft engine produced by Pratt & Whitney Canada. Its design was started in 1958, it first ran in February 1960, first flew on 30 May 1961, entered service in 1964, and has been continuously updated since. The PT6 consists of two basic sections: a gas generator with accessory gearbox, and a free-power turbine with reduction gearbox. In aircraft, the engine is often mounted "backwards," with the intake at the rear and the exhaust at the front, so that the turbine is directly connected to the propeller. Many variants of the PT6 have been produced, not only as turboprops but also as turboshaft engines for helicopters, land vehicles, hovercraft, and boats; as auxiliary power units; and for industrial uses. By November 2015, 51,000 had been produced, which had logged 400 million flight hours from 1963 to 2016. It is known for its reliability, with an in-flight shutdown rate of 1 per 651,126 hours in 2016. The PT6A turboprop engine covers the power range between 580 and 1,940 shp, while the PT6B/C are turboshaft variants for helicopters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Textron</span> American industrial conglomerate

Textron Inc. is an American industrial conglomerate based in Providence, Rhode Island. Textron's subsidiaries include Arctic Cat, Bell Textron, Textron Aviation, and Lycoming Engines. It was founded by Royal Little in 1923 as the Special Yarns Company. In 2020, Textron employed over 33,000 people in 25 different countries. The company ranked 265th on the 2021 Fortune 500 of the largest United States corporations by revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda HA-420 HondaJet</span> Very light business jet

The Honda HA-420 HondaJet is a light business jet produced by the Honda Aircraft Company of Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Original concepts of the aircraft started in 1997 and were completed in 1999. It took its maiden flight on December 3, 2003, received its FAA type certificate in December 2015, and was first delivered that same month. By the end of 2021, 200 jets had been delivered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cirrus Vision SF50</span> Very light business jet

The Cirrus Vision SF50, also known as the Vision Jet, is a single-engine very light jet designed and produced by Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, Minnesota, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beechcraft Super King Air</span> Light twin-turboprop transport aircraft family

The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The Model 200 and Model 300 series were originally marketed as the "Super King Air" family; the "Super" designation was dropped in 1996. They form the King Air line together with the King Air Model 90 and 100 series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cessna CitationJet/M2</span> Light business jet

The Cessna CitationJet/CJ/M2 are a series of light business jets built by Cessna, and are part of the Citation family. Launched in October 1989, the first flight of the Model 525 was on April 29, 1991. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification was awarded on October 16, 1992, and the first aircraft was delivered on March 30, 1993. The CJ series are powered by two Williams FJ44 engines; the design uses the Citation II's forward fuselage with a new carry-through section wing and a T-tail. The original CitationJet model has been updated into the CJ1/CJ1+/M2 variants; additionally, the CJ1 was stretched into the CJ2/CJ2+ which was built between 2000 and 2016. The design was then further developed into the CJ3/CJ3+, built from December 2004 to present, and finally into the CJ4 which has been built since 2010. By June 2017, 2,000 of all variants had been delivered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tecnam P2012 Traveller</span> Italian utility aircraft

The Tecnam P2012 Traveller is an eleven-seat utility aircraft designed and manufactured by the Italian company Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam, based in Capua, Italy, near Naples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cessna Citation Longitude</span> Super-midsize American business jet first flown in 2016

The Cessna Citation Longitude is a business jet produced by Cessna, part of the Cessna Citation family. It remains the largest business jet by Cessna. Announced at the May 2012 EBACE, the Model 700 made its first flight on October 8, 2016, with certification obtained in September 2019. The aluminum airframe has the fuselage cross-section of the Citation Latitude, stretched by a seat row. Powered by Honeywell HTF7000 turbofans, it has a new ~28° swept wing and a T-tail for a 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilatus PC-24</span> Twin-engine business jet by Pilatus Aircraft

The Pilatus PC-24 is a light business jet produced by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. Following the success of the PC-12 single engine turboprop, work on the twin engine jet began in 2007 for greater range and speed, keeping the rugged airfield capability. The aircraft was introduced on 21 May 2013 and rolled out on 1 August 2014, with the maiden flight on 11 May 2015. The PC-24 received EASA and FAA type certification on 7 December 2017 and the first customer delivery was on 7 February 2018. Powered by two Williams FJ44 turbofans, it competes with the Embraer Phenom 300 and the Cessna Citation CJ4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Textron AirLand Scorpion</span> American military jet aircraft

The Textron AirLand Scorpion is an American jet aircraft proposed for sale to perform light attack and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) duties. It is being developed by Textron AirLand, a joint venture between Textron and AirLand Enterprises. A prototype was secretly constructed by Cessna at their Wichita, Kansas facility between April 2012 and September 2013 and first flown on 12 December 2013.

Textron Aviation Inc. is the general aviation business unit of the conglomerate Textron that was formed in March 2014 following the acquisition of Beech Holdings which included the Beechcraft and Hawker Aircraft businesses. The new business unit includes the Textron-owned Cessna. Textron Aviation sells Beechcraft and Cessna-branded aircraft. While no longer selling new Hawker airplanes, Textron Aviation still supports the existing Hawker aircraft fleet through its service centers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epic E1000</span> Single-engine turboprop developed by Epic Aircraft

The Epic E1000 is an American single-engine, six-seat, turboprop light aircraft developed by Epic Aircraft of Bend, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Electric Catalyst</span>

The General Electric Catalyst is a turboprop engine by GE Aviation. It was announced on 16 November 2015 and will power the Beechcraft Denali, it first ran on December 22, 2017, and should be certified in 2024. The 850 to 1,600 hp engine aims for 20% better efficiency than its competition thanks to a 16:1 overall pressure ratio, variable stator vanes, cooled turbine blades, 3D printed parts and FADEC.

The Stratos 714 is an American very light jet aircraft under development by Stratos Aircraft of Redmond, Oregon. The project was announced in July 2008, a prototype first flew on 21 November 2016, although Stratos currently lacks the funding to complete type certification. Predominantly made of carbon composite, the single turbofan aircraft would seat four to six at 400 kn (740 km/h) over up to 1,500 nmi (2,800 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cessna 408 SkyCourier</span> Twin-turboprop utility aircraft

The Cessna 408 SkyCourier is an American utility aircraft designed and built by the Cessna division of Textron Aviation. It was launched on November 28, 2017, with an order for 50 from FedEx Express, with the aircraft designed for the needs of its FedEx Feeder service. It made its first flight on May 17, 2020, and was type certified on March 11, 2022. FedEx took delivery of the first production model on May 9, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dassault Falcon 6X</span> French business jet

The Dassault Falcon 6X is a large, long-range business jet developed by Dassault Aviation in France. Its precursor, the Falcon 5X twinjet, was launched in 2013, rolled-out in 2015 and made its first flight on July 5, 2017, but its development was frozen as its Safran Silvercrest engine failed to meet performance objectives. In December 2017, the Falcon 6X was launched as a stretched version with PW812D turbofans, made its first flight on 10 March 2021, and entered service on 30 November 2023.

magniX is an electric motor manufacturer for electric aircraft, wholly owned by Singapore investor Clermont Group. The company is headquartered in Everett, Washington, United States.

References

  1. 1 2 Wolfsteller, Pilar (November 23, 2021). "Textron's Denali makes its first flight". Flightglobal.
  2. 1 2 Siebenmark, Jerry. "Second Beechcraft Denali Completes First Flight". Aviation International News. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  3. ↑ Perry, Dominic (July 21, 2021). "Denali closes on first flight as turboprop joins Beechcraft family". FilghtGlobal. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  4. ↑ Molly McMillin (July 21, 2015). "Textron Aviation Moves Forward With Single-Engine Turboprop". The Weekly of Business Aviation. Aviation Week.
  5. ↑ Stephen Trimble (August 4, 2015). "Textron targets single-engine turboprop market". Flightglobal .
  6. ↑ Alwyn Scott (November 16, 2015). Phil Berlowitz (ed.). "GE, Textron team up to make new turboprop engine, aircraft". Business News. Reuters.
  7. 1 2 "Textron Aviation reveals superior SETP performance and cabin details" (Press release). Textron Aviation. May 23, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Textron Aviation debuts Cessna Denali single engine turboprop at Oshkosh" (Press release). Textron Aviation. July 25, 2016.
  9. ↑ Chad Trautvetter (May 20, 2017). "Textron Starts Fabricating Cessna Denali Test Articles". AINonline.
  10. ↑ "Cessna Denali poised to redefine segment as first test articles come to life" (Press release). Textron Aviation. May 18, 2017.
  11. 1 2 Kate Sarsfield (February 27, 2018). "Textron Aviation closes in on Citation Longitude certification". Flightglobal.
  12. ↑ Stephen Trimble (May 28, 2018). "Denali prototypes coming together in Wichita". Flightglobal.
  13. ↑ "Textron Aviation's Cessna Denali enters new phase of development; company builds first flight test articles" (Press release). Textron Aviation. May 28, 2018.
  14. ↑ Ian Sheppard (May 27, 2018). "Cessna Completes First Denali Flight-test Articles". AINonline.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Matt Thurber (October 11, 2018). "Textron Aviation Optimistic for Future". AIN online.
  16. ↑ Jon Hemmerdinger (October 22, 2019). "Textron delays Denali's first flight due to ongoing Catalyst engine testing". Flightglobal.
  17. 1 2 Jon Hemmerdinger (July 30, 2021). "GE Aviation 'buttoning up' Catalyst flight approvals, eyes applications besides Beechcraft's Denali". FlightGlobal.
  18. ↑ Phelps, Mark (November 23, 2021). "Textron Flies Its Beechcraft Denali T-prop Single For The First Time". AVweb. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Beechcraft Denali enters flight test phase with landmark first flight" (Press release). Textron Aviation. November 23, 2021.
  20. ↑ O'Connor, Kate (June 16, 2022). "Second Denali Prototype Flies". AVweb. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  21. ↑ Jon Hemmerdinger (May 8, 2023). "Textron Aviation delays Denali's certification until 2025". FlightGlobal.
  22. ↑ "Purchase planning handbook - turboprops table". Business & Commercial Aviation . Second Quarter 2023.
  23. ↑ Matt Thurber (May 24, 2016). "Textron Aviation Firms Up Plans for New Single-engine Turboprop". AINonline.
  24. ↑ O'Connor, Kate (May 8, 2023). "Textron Aviation Adds Autoland To Beechcraft Denali". AVweb. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Beechcraft Denali". Textron Aviation. 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.