In many ways the Cessna Citation X is an extreme airplane. Its radically swept wing, huge wing-to-fuselage fairing and enormous vertical fin are unique in the business jet world. The X looks like it does because that’s what it took to reach the goal of being the fastest civilian airplane now in service.
With its limit speed of Mach .92 the X can cruise up to about 528 knots true airspeed. A more typical fast jet cruise speed is around Mach .82, which equals about 470 knots. And lots of jets, particularly the extremely popular Boeing 737, cruise well under Mach .80, which is 459 knots. The Citation X does stand out.
