As We Noted Before -- Cessna's Big/Bad BizJet Gets Bigger/Badder -- Here's Why

NBAA 2010 closed the to year with a bang... and one of the biggest of said 'bangs' came from the friendly Cessna folks of Wichita, KS. It was at NBAA2010 that Cessna launched the Citation Ten, a larger, advanced version of the world’s fastest certified business jet, the Citation X. It also marks the debut of the Garmin G5000 avionics suite and a Cessna-exclusive advanced cabin management system, and it features more powerful and more efficient Rolls-Royce engines.

The Citation Ten features a 15-inch longer fuselage for more cabin space, winglets for more efficient performance, a new electrical system, dual lithium-ion batteries, new avionics, autothrottle, a redesigned cabin with new interior seats and cabin appointments, and a proprietary fiber optic-based cabin management system including the latest interface options for greater in-flight productivity and connectivity.

Performance is also enhanced with a 211 nautical mile (391 kilometer) increase in range at high-speed cruise, a 214-pound increase in maximum payload and a faster rate of climb direct to 45,000 feet. The Citation Ten will use a pair of new Rolls-Royce AE 3007C2 high-flow-fan turbines, each rated at 7,034 pounds of thrust.

This gives the Citation Ten a 4 percent improvement in takeoff thrust, 9 percent improvement in climb performance, 7 percent improvement in cruise thrust and an additional 1.4 percent improvement in specific fuel consumption. The Rolls-Royce AE 3007C2 will be certified in 2013 ahead of aircraft type certification.

First flight of the new Citation Ten will be in late 2011, with certification and first delivery in 2013.

FMI: www.cessna.com, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews