Cessna's Big/Bad BizJet Gets Bigger/Badder!

When Jack Pelton's troops get an idea to start tinkering with one of their birds, things tend to get 'interesting' in a big way. BUT... when the Cessna clan starts tinkering with the fastest BizJet in the biz, the much lauded (and lusted-after) Citation X; its simply a matter of time before things get just plane wild. Welcome to that time.

Cessna has just taken the wraps off the Citation Ten -- a larger, and more advanced version of the Citation X. In addition to tweaking the swiftest Citation to faster realms, the bird will serve as the launch vehicle for the new Garmin G5000 avionics suite, a Cessna-exclusive advanced cabin management system, and more powerful/efficient Rolls-Royce engines.

With a first flight scheduled for late 2011 (the viewing line starts behind us...), certification and first deliveries should take place in 2013. Just as important, tough, is the fact that this Citation will better its predecessor with a 211 nautical mile 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. Yowza....

The Citation Ten features whole shopping list of cool new accoutrements -- 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.

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