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Feb. 4--Cessna Aircraft has sent a letter to buyers of its new Skycatcher, saying deliveries of its light sport aircraft will be delayed from six to 10 months.

The production line in Shenyang, China, must be retooled, necessitating the delays. The retooling will incorporate changes made to the Model 162 Skycatcher as a result of two spin accidents during flight testing.

Changes include reducing the travel of the control surfaces, increasing the size of the rudder and adding a small aerodynamic ventral fin.

Until the changes to the production line are completed, the Skycatchers are being shipped from Shenyang to Yingling Aircraft in Wichita for the modifications.

"The first few -- until the fix is put into serial production -- will be done here," said Cessna spokesman Doug Oliver.

It's unknown at this point how many Skycatchers will be delivered this year, Oliver said.

"We're going through each individual customer reservation, working through what we know of the production to see what exactly that means for delays in individual customers," Oliver said.