Cessna Citation X+ makes it to Farnborough
first Cessna Citation X+ business jet with Gerry Buchheit
The Cessna Citation X+ makes its first transatlantic trip, before flying to the Farnborough International Airshow.
The first Cessna Citation X+ business jet with owner, Gerry Buchheit.
Cessna’s new Citation X+ business jet, recently certified by the FAA, made its first transatlantic crossing in five hours and 33 minutes, as it make its debut at the Farnborough International Airshow, which starts today.
The new jet achieved an average ground sped of 502 knots.
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Kriya Shortt, senior vice president, sales and marketing for Cessna’s parent company Textron Aviation, says: “We filed a fairly standard flight plan to demonstrate the capability a customer can expect in normal operations, and it was very impressive. While the operator will realise a huge benefit from the Citation X+ during shorter cross-country flights, long flights like this is where it really shines.”
The Citation X+ flew from the Cessna factory in Wichita, Kansas to Presque Isle, Maine, then 2,788 nautical miles non-stop to Cessna’s facility at Paris Le Bourget for an event.
The Citation X+ then completed its journey at TAG Farnborough Airport. For the transatlantic leg, the aircraft made a direct climb to 45,000 ft, accelerating to an initial cruise speed of .86 Mach, then to .88 Mach for much of the flight to Paris.
“Just as impressive as the speed of the aircraft – and the time saved – is the large cabin, the comfort, and the smart cabin technology that really make this the jet for business,” Shortt said.
Shortt says: “The pilots were thrilled by the ease of fuel management with the fully integrated auto throttle system used throughout the mission. Combined with improved aerodynamics and the addition of winglets, the Citation X+ auto throttle is the key to getting the most efficient use of fuel given the prevailing environmental conditions, and that means you save money.”
“Under the normal flight profile we flew, air traffic control requires a constant air speed during the crossing and without auto throttle, the pilots must constantly adjust the throttle to maintain that air speed. With auto throttle, they set the desired speed and the airplane does the rest, greatly reducing pilot workload,” adds Shortt.
The new business jet can seat 12 passengers. It can reach 51,000 ft – higher than most commercial traffic – and a speed of Mach 0.935 (just over 3,400 nautical miles). The Citation X+ is powered by two Rolls-Royce AE3007C2 turbofan engines.
