Cessna rolls out first New Citation Sovereign

                       
The first New Citation Sovereign has been rolled off the Wichita production line and is one of six new Cessna aircraft expected to hit the market this year.

“This rollout today is proof of Cessna’s commitment to bringing new products to customers in 2013, and demonstrates our strong investment in the future,” said Kelly Reich, business leader for the New Citation Sovereign. The aircraft was announced at the National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) trade show in Orlando five months ago.

Reich added: “It’s a short turn-around from just announcing this program last fall, to already having an aircraft rolling out the door and headed to the next stages of completion. This is a testament to the team of people designing and building Cessna’s next generation of aircraft. It takes hard work and dedication to accomplish what this team has accomplished.”

The newest Citation will have a range of 3,000 nm (3,452 statute miles). It features Garmin G5000 avionics and a new cabin management system.  Winglets have been added to the New Sovereign, contributing to the increase range and enabling a direct climb to 45,000 feet. The New Citation Sovereign will have a maximum cruise speed of 458 kts (527 statute miles per hour).

“Success breeds success and that’s easy to see with the New Sovereign,” said Michael Thacker, senior vice president of Engineering. “Once again, Cessna took a great aircraft and made it even better. The New Citation Sovereign is another example of our employee’s capabilities to take customer feedback, combined with advanced design and deliver an aircraft the market has asked for, and do it quickly.”

The Citation Sovereign has been in service since 2004. Type certification and entry into service for the New Citation Sovereign is slated for the third quarter 2013.