First Deliveries Of The new Bizjets Underway

The FAA has certified Cessnas's latest business jets on the same day, and deliveries to the first customers of the airplanes are already underway.

Cessna on Monday celebrated the first deliveries of the Citation M2 light jet and the Citation Sovereign+ following FAA type certification. The Citation M2 was announced in September 2011 with a design driven by customer and pilot feedback. First flight of the Citation M2 prototype occurred in March 2012 and the first production unit flew in August 2013. The development and certification process involved more than 150,000 engineering hours and two aircraft flying nearly 1,000 flight test hours and 360,000 nautical miles.

In service since 2004, the Citation Sovereign has reached a fleet of 349 aircraft worldwide and amassed more than 802,000 flight hours. Cessna announced plans for the new Sovereign+ at NBAA in October 2012. The first production aircraft rolled off the assembly line in Wichita in early March followed by first flight of the unit in April. Cessna says the new Citation Sovereign+, whose name now includes a “+” to more clearly differentiate it from its predecessor, brings increased range, updated technologies and enhanced performance to the company’s established Citation Sovereign business jet.

“Cessna is once more redefining the light jet segment with the Citation M2," said Brad Thress, Cessna senior vice president of business jets. "We’re proud to get the M2 into the marketplace and see the aircraft begin to set the standard for the next generation of business aviation.

“The Citation M2 is a versatile aircraft that fits many markets and missions, attracting owner-operators looking for an advanced, innovative aircraft of this size, capability, and value," Thress said. "Our launch customer, Stuart Woods, represents this type of customer: owners moving up from their Citation Mustang. Further, many new M2 owners are upgrading from a turboprop, while still others are moving laterally to a newer, same-size business jet. With its single-pilot certification, the Citation M2 has room for six passengers and is faster than many comparable aircraft, making it a strong performer in this segment.”

The Citation M2 has a maximum cruise speed of 400 knots true airspeed (460 miles per hour) and a range of 1,300 nautical miles. The aircraft can operate at airports with runways as short as 3,250 feet and will climb to 41,000 feet in 24 minutes. The Citation M2 is certified for single-pilot operation and features two Williams FJ44 engines. The aircraft can easily handle non-stop legs such as Houston, Texas-Washington D.C.; Chicago-Miami, Fla.; Frankfurt-Moscow; and Dubai, U.A.E.-Mumbai, India.

The M2’s clean cockpit design features Cessna’s proprietary Intrinzic flight deck powered by Garmin G3000 avionics with high-resolution multifunction displays and split-screen capability. Touch screen interactivity comparable to a smartphone provides pilots with precise performance information they need in a logical, familiar user interface.

“The Citation Sovereign+ makes a great airplane even better. We started with an aircraft popular for having one of the most comfortable cabins in its class, not to mention superb performance and reliability," Thress said. "We increased the full fuel payload, added winglets, cutting-edge Garmin G5000 avionics, auto throttles and outstanding performance for hundreds of dollars less per hour than any aircraft in its category. Our customers are looking forward to seeing the aircraft with winglets, giving it a distinct appearance as well as an aerodynamic boost that means 150 additional nautical miles of range.”

Featuring winglets and the new Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306D engines providing 5,852 pounds of thrust, the Citation Sovereign+ has a range of 3,000 nautical miles (3,452 statute miles), a top speed of 458 knots (527 miles per hour) and a direct climb to 45,000 feet.

The new cockpit is designed around the Cessna Intrinzic Flight Deck powered by Garmin G5000 avionics. An integrated, workload-reducing auto throttle system streamlines the pilots’ tasks. Cessna is offering the Sovereign+ with a unique Sovereign Shield program covering all scheduled maintenance and parts costs for the aircraft’s first five years or 1,500 flight hours, practically eliminating maintenance-related direct operating costs and allowing owners to operate the Citation Sovereign+ for far less than other business jets in the midsize category.

(Images provided by Cessna. Top: Citation M2. Bottom: Citation Sovereign+)

FMI: www.cessna.com