Two Hour Flight Tested Stability, Control, Handling Of The Airplane

A little more than a year after its public introduction at NBAA 2010, the Citation Ten prototype made its first flight Tuesday. The flight lasted more than two hours and included tests of stability and control, handling qualities, functional operations including the autopilot and autothrottle system, engine operability and avionics before landing at Wichita, KS, Mid-Continent Airport (ICT) where Cessna's main manufacturing facility is located.

"It took a significant amount of work by a large number of people to get us to this milestone today and I am happy to report that the aircraft performed exceptionally well and handling characteristics were excellent; just as predicted," said Michael Voigt, Cessna's engineering test pilot who flew the Ten prototype. "All systems functioned as expected including the Garmin G5000 avionics system. We are looking forward to a successful flight test program and FAA certification."

FAA type certification is on track for mid-2013 with first aircraft deliveries planned for the second half of 2013. "Our first flight, today, was a great success. We have a great team working on this project and I know they will take this dominant aircraft up a notch," said Kelly Reich, business leader for the Cessna Citation X and Ten.

Two Rolls-Royce AE 3007C2 engines will take a 36,600 pound MTOW Citation Ten off the ground in 5,150 feet and give the aircraft a maximum cruise speed of 527 knots and a certified ceiling of 51,000 feet. The Ten has a maximum range of 3,242 nautical miles, putting city pairings such as New York-London, Boston-San Francisco, London-Dubai and Miami-Seattle within convenient one-hop flights.

The Ten is 15 inches longer than the Citation X, providing extra passenger legroom in the forward club seating area. A new Ten mock-up was debuted at the 2011 NBAA convention with a fresh new interior color scheme, though customers are able to choose the interior stylings that best fit their needs and personality.

Also featuring Clairity, Cessna's proprietary cabin technology solution, the Ten delivers ultimate touch-screen control to the passenger, maximizing the digital entertainment experience from web to movies to moving maps. One convenient panel at each seat provides connections for personal electronic devices.

The Garmin G5000 integrated flight deck is one of the most intuitive pilot-aircraft interfaces ever seen in a business avionics suite. The high-resolution multi-function displays have split-screen capability, allowing continuous monitoring of engine, flight control, hydraulic and electrical systems. Garmin's SVT synthetic vision technology on the primary flight displays gives the crew a virtual reality view of runways, terrain, traffic and obstacles. Electronic charts with aircraft position overlay provide dynamic situational awareness during approach. (Images provided by Cessna)

FMI: www.cessna.com