Indiana Flight School Going With Cessna Skyhawk JT-A

The university’s aviation division is first customer for the upcoming turbodiesel version of the most popular plane in flying history

Plane & Pilot

Friday, April 07, 2017 at 06:36 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Purdue Aviation, a flight school in West Lafayette, Indiana, has placed an order for Textron Aviation's upcoming Skyhawk JT-A, a turbodiesel-powered aircraft.
The Skyhawk JT-A, featuring a Continental CD-155 turbodiesel engine and Garmin G1000 NXi cockpit, promises improved fuel efficiency (using cheaper fuel), faster speeds, shorter takeoff distances, better hot-and-high performance, and enhanced range/endurance compared to its gas-piston counterpart.
Textron Aviation anticipates FAA approval for the four-seater aircraft later this year, with delivery to the flight school expected shortly after.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The order is for a single airplane. The 172 JT-A burns less fuel, fuel that’s cheaper, it flies faster, takes off shorter, does better in hot-and-high conditions and has better range and endurance than the gas-piston Skyhawk. The new bird will also feature the new Garmin G1000 NXi cockpit. Textron expects to earn FAA approval for the four-seater later this year, with the delivery to the FBO expected to follow shortly thereafter.

[This article has been updated to correct an error in our reporting that identified the purchaser as Purdue University. The University, which has world-class aviation programs, is not related to the business, Purdue Aviation, that ordered the plane. We regret the error.]

Learn more at Textron.