Cessna expands Rockwell Collins' Venue offering to include iPod docking station

Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, has expanded its entertainment offering on the new Citation CJ4 business jet by adding Rockwell Collins' iPod docking solution to the Venue cabin management system.

Venue is Rockwell Collins' next generation, high definition cabin management system for business jets, now set to be on the first CJ4s when they begin delivery in 2010.

"Cessna's decision to add the iPod docking solution as an option to the Venue cabin system opens up a whole new world of entertainment options for CJ4 passengers," said Mike Tiffany, Director of Business Jet Product Lines for Rockwell Collins. "We're excited about working closely with Cessna to deliver this new capability."

"We continue to evaluate technology in order to be responsive to our customer's desires," said Norm Baker, CJ4 program manager for Cessna. "We are excited to offer the ability to interact with iPod, further expanding the capabilities of the already feature-rich Citation CJ4 cabin."

Rockwell Collins, a member of the Made for iPod program, will offer new iPod solutions with flexible designs that allow passengers to charge their iPods and distribute their music, podcasts and video throughout the cabin over the audio visual system. In addition, the Venue system's Programmable Switch Panels allow passengers to access and control their iPods remotely from their seat.   The full library of music, podcasts and video featured on the iPod content can be accessed and controlled from the Programmable Switch Panel, and real-time media playback status is displayed on the switch panel's OLED screen.