stuckingfk said:
Retractables are dead, IMHO. There is absoloutely no need for retractable gear in a light, single engine GA aircraft anymore. LancAir proved you can give people who shouldn't be flying an aircraft that can do 250+kts an aircraft that can do 250+kts and do with straight gear.
Retractable gear is just multiple problems waiting to happen.
1) Pilots forget it.
2) It adds cost to the insurance (sure some one who can afford a new aircraft should be able to afford the insurance but "rich" people don't get/stay rich by throwing uneccesary money around)
2) It adds more weight thereby reducing the speed gain.
3) They only add 20kts at best (if you really need to get there 20kts faster well then buy/charter a twin)
4) More moving parts = exponentiolly higer maintenance costs. Sure a new aircraft will be under warranty but what happens when the warranty runs out?
As far as 4 -6 seats go Cessna should concentrate on a 4 seat design that will, I don't know,
actually carry 4 people, with full fuel and say 50 or 60lbs of baggage per seat. The age of the six seat aircraft is dead, I think, and it never really existed anyway as there isn't a single out there that can truly carry six people comfortably, not to mention with bags and/or full fuel.
I dunno, 210s are/were over ratted in my book. Gimme a 206 any day.
If Cessna really wanted to make a next-gen aircraft they'd throw a PT6A up front and be done with it. Turbines are far more idiot proof than 1940's-era piston designs. Plus Jet-A is cheaper.