Upgraded Excel Features Pro Line 21 Avionics, FADEC

Cessna reported Tuesday the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently granted type certification (TC) to Cessna's Citation XLS+. With nearly 600 hours of flight testing, the XLS+ met Cessna's certification timeline goal.

The XLS+ features the fully integrated Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite and electronically controlled (FADEC) engines from Pratt & Whitney Canada. Exterior and interior restyling is also integrated into the new model, most prominently the extended contour of the nose and expanded seat widths, both introduced to more closely resemble Cessna's Citation X and Citation Sovereign models.

The Citation XLS+ at maximum takeoff weight will depart from runways as short as 3,560 feet at standard, sea-level conditions, travel as fast as 440 knots, have a range of more than 1,858 nautical miles and land on runways as short as 2,700 feet at its typical landing weight.

The original Citation Excel was delivered in May 1998, followed by the Citation XLS in July 2004. The 500th Excel/XLS was delivered in June 2006, making the Excel/XLS the best-selling aircraft of all business jet models since its introduction. The fleet of Excel/XLS aircraft comprises of nearly 650 planes with an accumulated total of more than 1.4 million flight hours.

As ANN reported, Cessna rolled out the first production XLS+ in late April. The first XLS+ delivery is expected before the end of 2008.

FMI: www.cessna.com