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Textron Aviation Inc. is the
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
business unit of the conglomerate Textron
Textron Inc. is an American industrial conglomerate based in Providence, Rhode Island. Textron's subsidiaries include Arctic Cat, Bell Textron, Textron Aviation (which itself includes the Beechcraft, and Cessna brands), and Lycoming Engines. ...
that was formed in March 2014 following the acquisition of Beech Holdings which included the Beechcraft
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 avi ...
and Hawker Aircraft
Hawker Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer that was responsible for some of the most famous products in British aviation history.
History
Hawker had its roots in the aftermath of the First World War, which resulted in the bank ...
businesses. The new business unit includes the Textron-owned Cessna
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 ...
. 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.
The CEO of Cessna, Scott Ernest, was named as the first CEO of Textron Aviation Incorporated. In October 2018, Ronald Draper succeeded Ernest to become the second CEO of Textron Aviation.
History
Textron completed its purchase of Beech Holdings in March 2014 for approximately US$1.4 billion in cash. The parent company, Textron, financed the equity purchase and the repayment of Beechcraft's debt in cash, plus its issue of US$600 million in senior notes and a new US$500 million five-year term loan. Once the purchase was completed on March 14, 2014, Textron combined Beechcraft with its existing Cessna subsidiary to form Textron Aviation and brought all production under the new company name. The old companies become brands of the new company due to their historical significance and name recognition. In January 2017 the company announced lay-offs as a result of falling business jet and turboprop sales and company profits. Textron CEO Scott Donnelly indicated that customers are seeking pricing levels that the company is not willing to support. In the first quarter of 2017 company revenues were down US$121 million compared to 2016, as a result of lower sales of military and commercial turboprop aircraft. The company made a first quarter 2017 profit of US$36 million, down from US$73 million in the first quarter of 2016. Sales of theCessna 400
The Cessna 400, marketed as the Cessna TTx, is a single-engine, fixed-gear, low-wing general aviation aircraft built from composite materials by Cessna Aircraft. The Cessna 400 was originally built by Columbia Aircraft as the Columbia 400 ...
had been slow, with only 23 of the model being sold in 2017. In February 2018, the company ceased production of the aircraft.
In April 2022, Textron purchased Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel
Pipistrel d.o.o Ajdovščina is a Slovenian light aircraft manufacturer established in 1989Or 1989... --> by Ivo Boscarol and based in Ajdovščina. Its facilities are located in Ajdovščina, Slovenia, and near the town of Gorizia, Italy. By M ...
to form a new devision called Textron eAviation, for electric aircraft
An electric aircraft is an aircraft powered by electricity.
Electric aircraft are seen as a way to reduce the environmental effects of aviation, providing zero emissions and quieter flights.
Electricity may be supplied by a variety of methods ...
development.
Products
Textron Aviation's various lines of aircraft, including the Cessna single-engined piston and turboprop aircraft and jets, Beechcraft piston and turboprops are seen by the company as complementary to each other and not as competitors. Textron Aviation also produces theBeechcraft T-6 Texan II
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engine turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company ( Textron Aviation since 2014). A trainer aircraft based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 has replaced the United States Air Force's Cessna ...
trainer and AT-6 light attack variant. The company does not produce the Hawker jets, but provides parts support for them.
By 2015, Textron Aviation companies have delivered nearly 251,000 aircraft, exceeding 100 million flight hours, in over 170 countries.
It provides aircraft parts An aircraft part is an article or component approved for installation on a type-certificated aircraft. Approval for these parts is derived from the jurisdictions of the countries that an aircraft is based. In the United States, the Federal Aviatio ...
and engineering support for them.
Aircraft
References
External links
* {{Authority control Aircraft manufacturers of the United States Manufacturing companies established in 2014 American companies established in 2014 2014 establishments in Kansas Manufacturing companies based in Kansas Companies based in Wichita, Kansas