Cessna Studying Product Range Expansion with Large Cabin Concept Citation.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, is studying the feasibility of adding a large cabin, intercontinental aircraft to its business jet line, said Cessna Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jack J. Pelton in a news conference today at the National Business Aviation Association conference and annual convention.

"Cessna has the world's most extensive business jet line, but many of our customers have indicated they would like to see a larger, longer-range jet in our product family," Pelton said. "We are here to get additional feedback from NBAA attendees, including what range and speed characteristics potential customers would prefer for a larger aircraft if we were to move forward with the program."

After gathering feedback from customer groups and NBAA attendees, the company will evaluate a range of issues to determine if there is a favorable business case. A decision on whether to proceed with the program is expected at the end of 2007.

"With the largest fleet of business jets and the most extensive support network worldwide, we think this would be a logical extension to our product line, but we will not make that decision until we hear from our existing and potential customers and carefully evaluate the business case," Pelton said.

Cessna will unveil a mockup of the large cabin concept at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, at the Cessna booth (# 5133) at NBAA, when it also unveils mockups of the Citation CJ4 and XLS+.

The large cabin concept will be configured for nine passengers and two pilots. The mockup will feature a flat floor with a walk-in baggage compartment and a large refreshment area. Avionics and engine remain unspecified at this investigative stage of the program. All of the specifications on this proof-of-concept mockup are subject to change.

Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2005, Cessna delivered 1,157 aircraft and reported revenues of about $3.5 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 187,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered to nearly every country in the world. The global fleet of more than 4,500 Citations is the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.

Textron Inc. is a $10 billion multi-industry company operating in 33 countries with approximately 37,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others. More information is available at www.textron.com.