Cessna has rolled-out the first production New Citation Sovereign at the company's Wichita, Kansas, manufacturing facility.
The New Citation Sovereign is
one of six new Cessna aircraft expected to hit the market this
year.
Kelly Reich, business leader for the new aircraft, said the roll-out was done only a few months after the project was announced, which he credited to the manufacturing team.
"This roll-out today is proof of Cessna's commitment to bringing new products to customers in 2013, and demonstrates our strong investment in the future," he said. "The aircraft was announced at the National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) trade show in Orlando five months ago.
"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 New Citation Sovereign will have a range of
3000 nm and a maximum cruise speed of 458 kts. The interior features improved cabin cooling, Garmin G5000
avionics with auto throttles, 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.
"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."
Type certification and entry into service for the New Citation
Sovereign is slated for the third quarter 2013.