Aiming to retake the title of fastest bizjet and breathe new life into an airplane that, while still fast, is showing its age, Cessna announced an all new flagship, the Citation Ten, the new version of which will now be spelled out in a way that eliminates 20 years of confusion in the general media over just how to interpret what we all know is the Roman numeral X.
At its NBAA press conference, Cessna threw down the gauntlet for fastest bizjet, challenging the claims that Gulfstream's new G650 would be faster. The new airplane, Cessna head Jack Pelton said, would be faster. In a game of friendly one-upmanship among industry leaders who know each other well, the question of who is fastest took on a playfully competitive tone. When asked just how fast, he said that he would share that information only after Gulfstream had laid their claim to the title. The two airplanes do not compete.
The respelling was part of a rebranding effort to put a charge into the X, but there were plenty of real world improvements to go around too. The airplane features a 15-inch stretch, most of which translates into more legroom in the Ten's double-club cabin, a longer range, which will allow the airplane to fly from New York to London, a very desirable city pairing, an all-new avionics suite, the Garmin G5000, a touchscreen system that revolutionizes the flight deck, and an all-new interior that not only gives the airplane a more comfortable place to push the speed limit of sound but greatly enhanced amenities, too, including a much improved galley and lav. Price of the Citation Ten is $21. 495 million. First flight is next year, and certification and first deliveries are scheduled for 2013.
