Photo: Textron
On Monday, May 22, American airplane manufacturer Textron pulled the wraps off the new, upcoming member of the Cessna Citation family, the Ascend. Shown as a mock-up in Geneva, Switzerland, during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE), it is expected to fly for the first time in 2025 as the most modern version of its kind.
Because of the wealth of details made public about the Ascend, it's natural for the plane to be the talk of the industry these days. But the Citation family is much larger than that, and an important milestone for one of its members was just reached this week.
At the time of writing, the Cessna Citation crew has five models to fight in the business jet segment with, namely the Longitude, Latitude, CJ4 Gen2, CJ3+, and M2 Gen2. It's the Longitude that makes the headlines today.
That's because Textron announced on Tuesday a major production milestone: the completion of the 100th Citation in this configuration, which also happens to be the flagship of the entire lineup. That's impressive and all, but one could argue not impressive enough for this achievement to make it in the news.
If you happen to think so, consider the fact the Longitude only got the FAA certification in late 2019. Reaching the 100th unit produced milestone this week means Textron has been making over 30 of these planes per year. And at some $24 million a piece, that's saying something...
The plane is a suitable business jet capable of carrying up to 12 passengers. It has a wingspan of 68 feet (21 meters), is 73 feet long (22 meters), and 19 feet (6 meters) high. That translates into a generous cabin space, which of course can be configured as per the desires of the customer.
Cessna offers a choice of six main interior materials, and three seating configurations: standard, with an aft couch, and with a side-facing seat. The most important attribute of the cabin, and the one the airplane maker advertises the most, is its sound insulation, which makes the Longitude the quietest airplane in its class.
The plane is powered by a pair of Honeywell engines capable of developing 7,665 lb of thrust each. That translates into a maximum cruise speed of 895 kph (556 mph). The Citation Longitude can hold enough fuel to fly distances as long as 6,400 km (almost 4,000 miles) when only four passengers are on board. The maximum altitude the airplane can reach is 45,000 feet (13,700 meters).
Textron does not say what interior configuration the 100th Citation Longitude comes in, or who it is for. We are told however the plane is expected to be delivered to its customer later this year.
At the time of writing, the Cessna Citation crew has five models to fight in the business jet segment with, namely the Longitude, Latitude, CJ4 Gen2, CJ3+, and M2 Gen2. It's the Longitude that makes the headlines today.
That's because Textron announced on Tuesday a major production milestone: the completion of the 100th Citation in this configuration, which also happens to be the flagship of the entire lineup. That's impressive and all, but one could argue not impressive enough for this achievement to make it in the news.
If you happen to think so, consider the fact the Longitude only got the FAA certification in late 2019. Reaching the 100th unit produced milestone this week means Textron has been making over 30 of these planes per year. And at some $24 million a piece, that's saying something...
The plane is a suitable business jet capable of carrying up to 12 passengers. It has a wingspan of 68 feet (21 meters), is 73 feet long (22 meters), and 19 feet (6 meters) high. That translates into a generous cabin space, which of course can be configured as per the desires of the customer.
Cessna offers a choice of six main interior materials, and three seating configurations: standard, with an aft couch, and with a side-facing seat. The most important attribute of the cabin, and the one the airplane maker advertises the most, is its sound insulation, which makes the Longitude the quietest airplane in its class.
The plane is powered by a pair of Honeywell engines capable of developing 7,665 lb of thrust each. That translates into a maximum cruise speed of 895 kph (556 mph). The Citation Longitude can hold enough fuel to fly distances as long as 6,400 km (almost 4,000 miles) when only four passengers are on board. The maximum altitude the airplane can reach is 45,000 feet (13,700 meters).
Textron does not say what interior configuration the 100th Citation Longitude comes in, or who it is for. We are told however the plane is expected to be delivered to its customer later this year.
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