Cessna last week announced a new, unofficial speed record that would allow the up-and-coming Citation Ten to snag the coveted position of the world’s fastest civilian aircraft, if the numbers pan out during certification of the jet.
Cessna says the new Citation Ten can now reach a high speed of Mach 0.935, which would give the jet a tiny lead over the Gulfstream G650, which is currently provisionally certified and features a top speed of Mach 0.925.
In addition to its increased speed, the Citation Ten will feature a number of improvements over its progenitor (and former speed record holder), the Citation X, including a lengthier cabin and a longer range of 3,245 nm. Powered by a pair of more robust Rolls-Royce engines, the airplane boasts an increase in max takeoff weight and comes equipped with Garmin’s G5000 touch screen avionics suite in the cockpit.
The Cessna model’s current top speed is Mach 0.92. The Citation Ten made its first flight in January of this year, and is slated for certification in mid-2013.
