So why did Cessna buy Columbia?

Is Cessna looking at it as a huge shortcut to building (and just adding
overnight) composite aircraft to their piston single lineup? I personally
like the Columbia line, if I had an extra half million laying around I would
love to have a 400.

------------------------------
DW

Darkwing wrote:
Is Cessna looking at it as a huge shortcut to building (and just adding
overnight) composite aircraft to their piston single lineup? I personally
like the Columbia line, if I had an extra half million laying around I would
love to have a 400.

I expect mostly that Textron thought they could make a go of it.
Textron (parent of Cessna, Lycoming, Bell Helicopter, Macauley,
EZ GO, Greenlee, Jacobson Lawm Mowers, and a whole slew of little
guys including my company) is the original conglomerate. They're
very acquisition minded of companies with earning and growth
potential especially when it fits in with areas they think
are gaps in their capabilities.

On 2007-11-17 07:54:38 -0800, "Darkwing" theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com said:

Is Cessna looking at it as a huge shortcut to building (and just adding
overnight) composite aircraft to their piston single lineup? I personally
like the Columbia line, if I had an extra half million laying around I would
love to have a 400.

------------------------------
DW

Cessna likes the Columbia, too, and they will continue producing the
aircraft. The interesting thing is that the Columbia production
facility is bigger than the Cessna piston facility in Independence. Yet
it is producing far below capacity, while the Independence facility has
been almost completely taken over by the Mustang. Cessna has only one
production line left open for piston singles despite the fact that they
have a backlog of several years' worth of orders.

You do the math and see what conclusion you come to. Personally, if I
worked at Cessna building piston singles, I would be house-hunting in
Oregon already, before things become a little tight.
--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

"C J Campbell" wrote in message
news:2007111710230750073-christophercampbell@hotmailcom...
On 2007-11-17 07:54:38 -0800, "Darkwing" theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com said:

Is Cessna looking at it as a huge shortcut to building (and just adding
overnight) composite aircraft to their piston single lineup? I personally
like the Columbia line, if I had an extra half million laying around I
would
love to have a 400.

------------------------------
DW

Cessna likes the Columbia, too, and they will continue producing the
aircraft. The interesting thing is that the Columbia production facility
is bigger than the Cessna piston facility in Independence. Yet it is
producing far below capacity, while the Independence facility has been
almost completely taken over by the Mustang. Cessna has only one
production line left open for piston singles despite the fact that they
have a backlog of several years' worth of orders.

You do the math and see what conclusion you come to. Personally, if I
worked at Cessna building piston singles, I would be house-hunting in
Oregon already, before things become a little tight.
--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor


Very good point, I didn't know that the piston line and building was so
small.

----------------------------
DW

Cessna is building a plant in Georgia.



C J Campbell wrote:
On 2007-11-17 07:54:38 -0800, "Darkwing" theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com said:

Is Cessna looking at it as a huge shortcut to building (and just adding
overnight) composite aircraft to their piston single lineup? I personally
like the Columbia line, if I had an extra half million laying around I
would
love to have a 400.

------------------------------
DW


Cessna likes the Columbia, too, and they will continue producing the
aircraft. The interesting thing is that the Columbia production facility
is bigger than the Cessna piston facility in Independence. Yet it is
producing far below capacity, while the Independence facility has been
almost completely taken over by the Mustang. Cessna has only one
production line left open for piston singles despite the fact that they
have a backlog of several years' worth of orders.

You do the math and see what conclusion you come to. Personally, if I
worked at Cessna building piston singles, I would be house-hunting in
Oregon already, before things become a little tight.

On Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:23:07 -0800, C J Campbell
wrote:

On 2007-11-17 07:54:38 -0800, "Darkwing" theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com said:

Is Cessna looking at it as a huge shortcut to building (and just adding
overnight) composite aircraft to their piston single lineup? I personally
like the Columbia line, if I had an extra half million laying around I would
love to have a 400.

------------------------------
DW

Cessna likes the Columbia, too, and they will continue producing the
aircraft. The interesting thing is that the Columbia production
facility is bigger than the Cessna piston facility in Independence. Yet
it is producing far below capacity, while the Independence facility has
been almost completely taken over by the Mustang. Cessna has only one
production line left open for piston singles despite the fact that they
have a backlog of several years' worth of orders.

You do the math and see what conclusion you come to. Personally, if I
worked at Cessna building piston singles, I would be house-hunting in
Oregon already, before things become a little tight.


That, and the fact that Cessna needs a fast four place piston airplane
to compete in the market these days. Also, it's much cheaper to buy
into a completed flying aircraft than develop one from scratch.

Ron Kelley

Darkwing,

Has the deal gone through yet?

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

"Thomas Borchert" wrote in message
...
Darkwing,

Has the deal gone through yet?

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)


They have to get through the bankruptcy first from what I understand but
Cessna has positioned themselves to buy it.

Darkwing,

They have to get through the bankruptcy first from what I understand but
Cessna has positioned themselves to buy it.


As I understand it, there are several other bidders, Cirrus among them.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

On 2007-11-18 13:33:02 -0800, Thomas Borchert
said:

Darkwing,

They have to get through the bankruptcy first from what I understand but
Cessna has positioned themselves to buy it.


As I understand it, there are several other bidders, Cirrus among them.

The last thing Cirrus wants is for Cessna to buy Columbia, so they have
been acting as 'spoilers' attempting to disrupt the deal. They don't
really want Columbia for themselves.
--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor