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)