Two new Cessna jets have passed major production milestones on the path to first deliveries.
The first production example of the new Citation X, expected to be the fastest civil aircraft in the world, made its maiden flight from Cessna's Wichita plant this week, whilst the Independence plant rolled out the first production Citation M2.
“The Citation X was flawless today,” said Gary Drummond, Cessna senior production test pilot after the flight. “We took the X to an altitude of 49,000 feet on a flight pattern over western Kansas. The aircraft attained a top speed of Mach 0.935.
"We conducted a 3.1-hour flight with an average cruise speed of Mach 0.915 at 41,000 feet. The Garmin G5000 avionics performed brilliantly and the auto-throttle system is going to be a welcome feature for Citation X operators."
The Citation X is pushed along by two Rolls-Royce AE 3007C2 turbofan engines, each delivering 7034 pounds of thrust. It is one of the few business jets permitted to operate at an altitude of 51,000 feet, enabling the aircraft to fly above most weather and avoid lower-altitude commercial traffic.
One hundred and eighty kilometres east of Wichita, Cessna's Independence plant was celebrating their first production Citation M2.
“Seeing the M2 roll off the assembly production line was a special moment,” said Lily English, general manager of the Independence plant. “Engineering, production and planning − this is a huge achievement for the whole team, and great news for M2 customers.
"The collaboration and cross-functional support within Cessna helped make this day happen. We have filled the assembly line, and now look forward to seeing M2s roll out of these doors for a long time to come.”
Brad Thress, Cessna senior vice president, Business Jets, was just as enthusiastic about the potential of the M2.
"Excitement is building for the M2,” he said. “This jet brings more than capability and craftsmanship to the market. The M2 is such a versatile aircraft: it can perform superbly in many different markets and on a great variety of missions.
"It has the handling characteristics you need in a training platform, while offering the style and power a private user looks for when taking the next step up in their own aircraft. The M2 delivers across the board, and we are looking forward to its first production flight.”
The Citation M2 features two Williams FJ44 engines and a cruising speed of up to 400 kts. The M2 can climb to a flight level of 41,000 feet in 24 minutes, is single-pilot certified and has a useful load of 1726 kg.