Cessna Citation Longitude Complete World Trek, Textron Eyes FAA Certification

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Textron Aviation’s forthcoming Cessna Citation Longitude recently wrapped up a global demonstration tour that saw the aircraft travel more than 31,000 nautical miles (57,412 kilometers). (Photo courtesy of Textron Aviation.)

Logging more than 31,000 nautical miles (57,412 kilometers) across 27 legs entailing 12 countries, Textron Aviation’s upcoming flagship Cessna Citation Longitude recently completed a global demonstration tour. The super-midsize business jet initially took off from Textron Aviation’s headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, in late January, and landed at the Singapore Airshow in February, where it made its Asia-Pacific debut. Textron, which also owns the Beechcraft and Hawker brands, announced the completion of the Longitude’s first flight in 2016. The company expects the aircraft to receive Federal Aviation Association certification this year.

A World Tour

As part of the global trek, the Longitude demonstrated its 3,500-nautical mile (6,482-kilometer) range by completing a 3,504-nautical mile (6,489-kilometer) flight from Seletar near northeast Singapore to Sydney, Australia. Sporting a clean-sheet design, the aircraft also made stops in Sweden, France, Italy, Switzerland, and the U.K. before making a return 3,094-nautical mile (6,482-kilometer) flight from Farnborough, U.K., to White Plains, New York, in 6 hours 50 minutes at Mach 0.82 with two pilots and two passengers.

Rob Scholl, Textron Aviation senior vice president of sales and marketing, said the tour enabled Textron to meet demand from customers to see the aircraft up close. “After successfully circling the globe and showcasing its outstanding performance and reliability throughout diverse regions and a wide array of environmental conditions, the Longitude reinforced its ability to suit the needs of operators worldwide,” he said.

“The Quietest Cabin”

Previously, Textron announced that five aircraft in the Longitude flight program had logged more than 800 flights and 1,900-plus flight hours. Seating up to 12 passengers in a standard double-club configuration, the aircraft supports a full fuel payload of 1,600 pounds (726 kilograms), includes a 6-foot (1.8-meter) tall flat-floor cabin, and aims to “elevate passenger expectations in the super-midsize class by delivering the quietest cabin.” To that end, the Longitude offers a 5,950-foot (1,814-meter) low cabin altitude.

Powering on FADEC-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines, the Longitude is to feature a Garmin G5000 flight deck, new Garmin 2100 Head-up Display, and the LinxUs onboard diagnostics system. Supporting a maximum 476-KTAS (882-kilometer per hour) cruise speed, the Longitude measures 73.2 feet (22.3 meters) long, stands 19.4 feet (5.9 meters) high, and spans 68.9 feet (21 meters) across the wings.

Source: Textron Aviation

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