Cessna Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc.,
a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced the successful
first flight of its Citation Longitude super-midsize jet. The
flight comes less than a year after the company unveiled new
details for the revolutionary aircraft – the company’s latest
example of continued investment in its family of larger business
jets.
“Today’s successful first flight of the Citation Longitude was
performed exactly as we anticipated,” said Scott Ernest, president
and CEO, Textron Aviation. “Our product development process is
second to none and allowed us to move smoothly from unveiling the
Longitude last November, to the first flight of the prototype in
just 11 months. This milestone not only showcases our continued
commitment to investing in new products to meet market demand, but
also our focus on investing in our development and production
processes to bring the aircraft to market quickly without
compromise.”
The Longitude took off from the company’s east campus Beech
Field Airport, piloted by experimental test pilots Ed Wenninger and
Stuart Rogerson. During the two hour and two minute flight, the
team tested the aircraft’s flaps, landing gear, pressurization
systems, stability and control.
“I was extremely pleased with the performance of the Longitude
during the first flight,” said Rogerson, senior flight test pilot.
“The level of maturity in flight characteristics is already very
high. I was particularly impressed with how intuitive the flight
systems are, validating the extensive integration work done by our
development teams. We accomplished everything we wanted to do
during this maiden flight, setting the pace for the flight test
program.”
The prototype aircraft will continue to expand the performance
envelope, focusing on testing flight controls and aerodynamics,
while the first production model, set to fly in the coming weeks,
will be primarily used for systems testing.
“With industry-leading design and production expertise, our
world-class team is able to execute quickly and precisely, enabling
the company to bring new concepts to market faster so both pilots
and passengers enjoy an unrivaled level of capability and comfort,”
said Michael Thacker, senior vice president, Engineering, Textron
Aviation.
Revolutionizing the super-midsize market
The aircraft is designed specifically for maximum passenger
comfort and offers the lowest cabin altitude in its class at 5,950
feet. State-of-the-art cabin technology allows passengers to manage
their environment and entertainment from any mobile device, while
standard high-speed internet maximizes in-flight productivity. With
seating for up to 12 passengers, the Longitude features a stand-up,
flat-floor cabin with a standard double-club configuration and a
class-leading walk-in baggage compartment fully accessible in
flight.
The clean-sheet design of the Longitude integrates the latest
technology throughout the aircraft, bringing customers the lowest
ownership costs in this class. It features the next evolution of
the Garmin G5000 flight deck and is powered by FADEC-equipped
Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines with fully integrated
autothrottles. The aircraft offers a full fuel payload of 1,500
pounds, a maximum cruise speed of 476 knots and a high-speed range
of 3,400 nautical miles. With optional head-up display and enhanced
vision capability, the Longitude facilitates eyes-up flying. The
spacious cockpit incorporates easier access and an ergonomic design
that fully focuses on crew comfort and efficiency.
Images and Video
Citation Longitude First Flight Images
Citation Longitude First Flight Video
About Textron Aviation Inc.
Textron Aviation Inc. is the leading general aviation authority
and home to the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands, which account
for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying. The
Textron Aviation companies include Cessna Aircraft Company and
Beechcraft Corporation, bringing together decades of unmatched
experience in designing, building and supporting airplanes. It
provides the most versatile and comprehensive general aviation
product portfolio in the world through five principal lines of
business: business jets, general aviation and special mission
turboprop aircraft, high performance piston aircraft, military
trainer and defense aircraft, and a complete global customer
service organization. Its broad range of products include such
best-selling aircraft as Citation and Hawker business jets, King
Air and Caravan turboprops and T-6 military trainer aircraft, all
of which are backed by the industry’s most capable global service
network. For more information, visit txtav.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its
global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance
businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and
services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands
such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen,
Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Bad Boy Off Road, Textron
Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information
visit: www.textron.com.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking
statements which may project revenues or describe strategies,
goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements
speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake
no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.
These statements are subject to known and unknown risks,
uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results
to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the
efficacy of research and development investments to develop new
products or unanticipated expenses in connection with the launching
of significant new products or programs; our ability to keep pace
with our competitors in the introduction of new products and
upgrades with features and technologies desired by our customers;
changes in government regulations or policies on the export and
import of commercial products; volatility in the global economy or
changes in worldwide political conditions that adversely impact
demand for our products; volatility in interest rates or foreign
exchange rates; risks related to our international business,
including relying on joint venture partners, subcontractors,
suppliers, representatives, consultants and other business partners
in connection with international business, including in emerging
market countries.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161008005069/en/
Media:Sarah Estes,
+1.316.517.1499sestes@txtav.comtxtav.com
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