A major milestone has been achieved for Textron Aviation’s Cessna Citation Longitude as it received provisional type certification from the FAA. This is the final step toward full certification and it allows Cessna to conduct flight training in the super midsize business jet to prepare customers for the first deliveries, expected to take place early next year.
The achievement follows on an extensive flight test program with more than 1,650 flights accumulating more than 4,050 hours. This included a world tour to give the 12 passenger airplane a realistic test environment for its 3,500 nm range. The airplane boasts a full fuel payload of 1,600 pounds and a 6-foot, flat floor cabin.
While similar in exterior size as the Citation X+, the Longitude’s cruise speed tops out at 476 ktas compared with the X+’s 528 ktas. However, the interior of the Longitude provides more than 12 percent more elbow room and 4 additional inches of headroom for the passengers. The seats are fully berthable and there is a walk-in baggage compartment accessible from the cabin.
Passengers can also control the cabin environment from a mobile device and highspeed internet allows for productivity in flight. Up front, pilots manage the airplane through Garmin’s G5000 flight deck, which incorporates a head-up display and enhanced vision capability. The Longitude is equipped with fully integrated autothrottles that help the pilot managed the Fadec-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L engines. Textron Aviation claims the operating cost of the Longitude will be low, partially owing to the 800-hour, 18-month maintenance intervals.
