WICHITA, Kan., June 16, 2010 - The Model 162 Skycatcher produced by Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, has been named winner of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Piper General Aviation Award for 2010.

The award is made annually to a company or product judged to have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of general aviation. The Skycatcher design team will be officially recognized at the 10th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations (ATIO) Conference, September 13-15, in Houston, Texas.

The Skycatcher is Cessna’s entry in the new light sport aircraft category. The 162 achieved required ASTM compliance in late 2009, and the first aircraft was delivered in December. Cessna has more than 1,000 orders for the entry level aircraft (base price is $112,500).

“This recognition for the Cessna design team is well-deserved and makes the hard work worthwhile,” said David Brant, senior vice president, Engineering. “An award from AIAA is like winning an Oscar since it comes from fellow aerospace engineering professionals.”

AIAA presents the Piper General Aviation Award for outstanding contributions leading to the advancement of general aviation. The award honors William T. Piper, Sr., who was founder and first president of Piper Aircraft Corporation 1929-1970.

The first recipient of the Piper General Aviation Award in 1989 was Fred Weick of the Piper Aircraft Company. Other aviation innovators have been recognized for significant contributions to general aviation and include James K. Coyne President of the National Air Transportation Association, Raspet Flight Research Laboratory at Mississippi State University, and Sam B. Williams of Williams International.

AIAA is the world’s largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. With more than 35,000 individual members worldwide, and 90 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org.

Visit the new Cessna gift shop online at www.cessnagiftshop.com

###

Cessna is the world’s leading general aviation company, based on unit sales, with five major lines of business: Citation business jets, Caravan single-engine turboprops, Cessna single-engine piston aircraft, aftermarket services and lift solutions by CitationAir. In 2009, Cessna delivered 754 aircraft, including 289 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $3.3 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 6,000 Citations, making it 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 multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, 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 Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.

Forward-looking Information: Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements and speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including but not limited to the following: [a] changes in worldwide economic and political conditions that impact demand for our products, interest rates and foreign exchange rates; [b] the interruption of production at our facilities or at our suppliers’ facilities; [c] the occurrence of slowdowns or downturns in customer markets in which our products are sold or supplied; [d] changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders; [e] changes in national or international government policies on the export and import of commercial products; [f] bankruptcy or other financial or performance problems at major suppliers or subcontractors that could cause disruptions in our supply chain; [g] continued difficult conditions in the financial markets resulting in adverse impacts to our customers, including difficulty in obtaining financing for the purchase of our products; and [h] continued volatility in the economy resulting in a prolonged downturn in the business jet market.