Job opportunity at Cessna (1955)

So they was thinking of taking on Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed in the airliner business. Did they ever get as far as a prototype?
 
luvflyin said:
So they was thinking of taking on Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed in the airliner business. Did they ever get as far as a prototype?
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The Cessna 620 was to have been a four-engine "business airliner", for the corporate market that then was using a lot of surplus Lodestars, B-26s, C-47s, etc. The protoype was flown over 330 hours, powered by four Continental GSO-526-A engines, 350 hp each. The project was canceled in October 1957, due to massive cost overruns and the prospect of proposed small military jet designs (e.g., Jetstar, Sabreliner) making it into the civil market. The prototype 620 was scrapped, and all flight test data documentation was destroyed. Said Cessna engineer Bill Thompson, "Engine problems were horrendous, and they delayed important flight testing time and time again. More serious was their negative effect on the reputation of a magnificent airframe."

cessna_620_proto.jpg

BTW ... can you guess why they picked the model number "620"? ;)
 
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I was told by an engineer at Cessna long ago it was a Cessna 620, a four engine 310- that's where the # came from by doubling the 310, google it- the prototype flew went to a trade show, sold several, but when the plane returned to Cessna, it was scrapped
 
Thanks for sharing. That’s pretty cool. Have to think that they were in that time period of aviation militarization that was quite profitable and just kind of got left out. Probably a lot of executive pressure to get into that market.
Those Geared engines blew if flown ham handed right??
 
The Cessna CH-1 Skyhook was a cool helicopter. It held altitude records and was the first IFR certified helicopter. It was apparently so stable in flight that as a demonstration the pilot was able to take his hands off the controls for 2 minutes.

I believe all but 1 of the helicopters ended up being destroyed. I’ve heard rumors that the 1 remaining one is in storage at some museum (forget which one).
 
I think my father in-law went to work for Cessna for this project he wound up getting laid off and then hired back shortly after and eventually wound up working on the SkyMaster.
 
Ft Rucker has a YH-41 (CH-1) the military prototype in storage somewhere...as a young butter bar I had a job there for a few months waiting on a Cobra transition...always like looking at the stuff not on display...
 
NHWannabe said:
I think my father in-law went to work for Cessna for this project he wound up getting laid off and then hired back shortly after and eventually wound up working on the SkyMaster.
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"working on the skymaster"

I'll take what every skymaster owner is doing for $500 Alex.
 
How deep is the employee discount?
 
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