Cessna and Bell Contributed to Parent Company Textron’s Scorpion Military Jet

Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter both contributed to the design and development of parent company Textron’s new Scorpion military jet, which was unveiled yesterday. According to a Textron spokesman, Bell brought composite expertise to the project, while Cessna designed and built the jet at its Pawnee facility in Wichita. A nearly completed prototype, which has been fitted with a pair of Honeywell TFE731 turbofans, is expected to fly by year-end. Low-rate initial production is scheduled to start in 2015 at Cessna’s Wichita plant.