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| T303 Crusader | |
|---|---|
 Cessna T303 Crusader | |
| General information | |
| Type | Six-seat twin engine cabin monoplane |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Cessna Aircraft Company |
| Number built | 297[1] |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1982 |
| First flight | February 14, 1978 |
TheCessna T303 Crusader is an American six-place light twin-engined aircraft built byCessna Aircraft Company. Production ceased in 1986.
The originalCessna 303 Clipper was first flown on February 14, 1978;[2] it was a low-wing four-seatLycoming-powered twin-engined aircraft that would have competed with thePiper Seminole,Gulfstream American GA-7 Cougar, andBeechcraft Duchess. After market demand for four-place light twins declined, only one 303 Clipper was built before Cessna redesigned the aircraft as a six-seat twin. They also renamed the aircraft out of legal concern, sincePan Am Airlines held the trademark on the name "Clipper" in reference to their fleet aircraft.
The new model, designated theT303 Crusader first flew on October 17, 1979, with the first deliveries being made in October, 1981. The T303 is an all-metal low-wing six-seat twin-engined aircraft with a retractable tricycle undercarriage. At the time, it was the first all-new production twin built by Cessna in over a decade. With a declining market, only 297[1] were built.
Examples were exported toEurope, with several still operating in theUnited Kingdom in 2012 and two flying inGoondiwindi,Queensland,Australia. Many are still flying inColombia inair taxi and private operations.
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83[3]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Media related toCessna 303 at Wikimedia Commons
