Second New Airplane Announcement Within Two Weeks

For the second time in 14 days, Cessna Aircraft Company has introduced a new airplane. Plans for the new Citation Latitude mid-size business jet were unveiled Monday morning at the start of the 64th NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention. Just two weeks ago on September 26th, the company launched the Citation M2 light business jet.

With space for a crew of two plus up to eight passengers, the Citation Latitude features Garmin G5000 avionics and a clean-sheet, 84-inch fuselage for a 6-foot high, flat floor passenger cabin. "The Citation Latitude is a game-changer for the mid-size segment, offering the payload, speed and range the market requires with an unmatched cabin experience at this price point," said Brad Thress, senior vice president, Cessna Business Jets.

Positioned between the Citation XLS+ and Citation Sovereign in Cessna's product line, the Citation Latitude offers a full fuel payload of 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms), a maximum cruise speed of 442 knots true airspeed (819 kilometers per hour) and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,704 kilometers). The aircraft is priced at $14.9 million in 2011 USD.

Preliminary specifications project the aircraft will operate at airports with runways as short as 3,900 feet, will have a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet, and will climb direct to 43,000 feet in 23 minutes. First flight of the Citation Latitude prototype is expected to be mid-year 2014, with FAA certification (Part 25) and entry into service expected in 2015.

"Our team used extensive market research to configure the Citation Latitude and the results are seen from nose to tail and from wingtip to wingtip on the Latitude's swept wing," Thress said. "Nowhere is the Latitude's uniqueness more visible than inside the cabin."

From just behind the cockpit through the rear lavatory, a flat floor provides stand-up access throughout the 16-plus foot cabin. The main passenger cabin -- Cessna's widest in history -- is 77 inches wide (1.95 meters) with a height of 72 inches (1.83 meters). The standard seating arrangement accommodates passengers in a single-club with a forward, dual side-facing couch. Six pedestal seats track forward and aft 7 inches (.18 m) and laterally 4 inches (.10 m) on the seat base with 180 degree swiveling capability and infinite recline positions. Cabin-length indirect LED lighting is provided overhead in the passenger service units with variable adjustment for direct reading lights and more.

"The requirements for business travel have evolved to more than comfort and convenience; the use of innovative technology is key to providing a more efficient and productive aircraft cabin, which is critical to meeting expectations of a fully functioning work environment," said Cindy Halsey, Cessna vice president, Interior Design, Engineering and Development. "Through our new Clairity cabin technology system, we have an intuitive user interface to offer customers a 'smart' airplane for the ultimate connectivity experience."

Developed by Cessna in partnership with Dallas-based Heads Up Technologies, Clairity is an intelligent cabin technology solution that ties into the aircraft avionics systems and can integrate cabin electrical systems and data and communication sharing through a fiber optic backbone controlled through either an intuitive touch-screen user interface at each seat or the customer's personal electronic device.

The Citation Latitude's cockpit is anchored by the new, fully integrated Garmin G5000 system that centers on three 14-inch LCD primary and multifunction displays and four touch-screen control panels. It includes an integrated Flight Director/Autopilot and Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS). Among the standard features of the new system are a pilot-vehicle touch-screen interface, TCAS II with Change 7.1, Synthetic Vision Technology, electronic charts, Garmin's SafeTaxi, a dual flight management system with WAAS LPV and RNP, solid-state weather radar with turbulence detection and vertical scan capability, integrated terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), ADS-B Out and Link 2000+ data link. Options include satellite weather and an ICAO Type 1A flight data recorder.

A cabin mock-up of the new Citation Latitude is on display through Wednesday at Cessna's exhibit in the Las Vegas Convention Center. (Images provided by Cessna)

FMI: www.cessna.com