The new Citation Sovereign made its maiden production flight recently, giving Cessna test pilots their first opportunity to evaluate the upgraded jet’s performance and handling.
The flight originated near Cessna’s manufacturing plant in Wichita, Kansas, and lasted for two-and-a-half hours. During that time, Cessna’s test crew performed evaluations of the Garmin G5000 avionics panel, the engine system and aircraft systems.
To date, Cessna test pilots have logged more than 1,300 hours on three test Citation Sovereign articles. They said the production airplane handled as expected during its first flight, and the Garmin G5000 with autothrottles provided “a sense of control and situational awareness that any pilot will appreciate.”
The new Citation Sovereign was announced at the NBAA Convention last fall. Developed from the Citation Sovereign that first achieved FAA certification in 2004, the upgraded jet features new winglets, slightly more powerful Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines and the Garmin G5000 avionics in place of the previous Honeywell Primus Epic panel.
The new jet provides an increased range of 3,000 nm and the ability to climb direct to 45,000 feet. It will max out at a top speed of 458 knots.
Cessna recently announced a new five-year warranty package for the Citation Sovereign as well.
