Textron Aviation’s Beechcraft Denali is making its first appearance at the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo from April 1 through 6 in Lakeland, Florida, as the program continues to check off key milestones, notably the recent certification of its GE Aerospace Catalyst powerplant. The turboprop single is the launch platform for GE’s newest engine, which received FAA approval on February 27 following a development program that involved more than 23 engines, 190 component tests, and 8,000 hours of certification tests.

This approval is a significant milestone in the Denali program, with the three flight-test airplanes amassing more than 2,700 flight hours and 1,000 flights. Certification for the Denali, however, has been pushed to 2026.

“Our goal is to achieve type certification and entry into service as quickly as possible. The purpose of a development program is to fully mature the airframe and systems to the highest standards. Textron Aviation, in conjunction with FAA certification requirements, will take all time necessary to complete the process to deliver this clean-sheet aircraft to the market,” a company spokesperson stated, explaining the anticipated stretched timeline.

Textron Aviation also pointed to its busy development schedule that includes the Cessna Citation Ascend, Citation M2 Gen2 autothrottle upgrade, Citation CJ3 Gen2, and the Citation Latitude avionics upgrade—all expected to certify in 2025.

Meanwhile, Textron Aviation is continuing to gather momentum as it showcases the model at Sun ‘n Fun. Along with the 1,300-shp Catalyst, the Denali will sport a McCauley five-blade composite prop and a Garmin G3000 flight deck with Garmin Emergency Autoland, integrated autothrottle, and synthetic vision technology. Preliminary specifications show the model with a 1,600-nm range with four passengers, full-fuel payload of 1,100 pounds, maximum cruise speed of 285 ktas, and maximum capacity of 11 occupants.

Alongside the Denali at the annual Lakeland show will be its veteran single-turboprop sibling, the Cessna Caravan, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. First delivered in 1985, more than 3,000 of the venerable utility turboprop aircraft have been delivered worldwide for missions ranging from flight training to recreation, commuter airlines to VIP transport, cargo carriers, and humanitarian missions. Certified in 100 countries, the fleet has collectively surpassed 25 million flight hours.

Also on display will be the Cessna piston-single lineup, including the Skyhawk, Skylane, and Turbo Stationair HD, as well as an M2 Gen3 mockup. These will neighbor the Textron eAviation Pipistrel Alpha Trainer, Pipistrel Sinus, and Pipistrel Panthera.