Cessna marks another program milestone, powers on the first Citation Longitude

Cessna Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced it has powered the electrical distribution system on the revolutionary Cessna Citation Longitude super-midsize jet, completing the next major step in the aircraft’s path to accomplish first flight this summer. This milestone occurs just three weeks after the company successfully mated the wing and fuselage of the first Longitude in May.

“We continue to meet our milestones through an industry-leading development schedule in order to get the Longitude into the hands of our customers,” said Scott Ernest, president and CEO, Textron Aviation. “The power on stage allows our team to begin verifying the aircraft’s electrical power system and paves the way for functional tests and engine runs that will get us to first flight in the coming months.”

Revolutionizing the super-midsize market

The Citation Longitude is the company’s latest innovation as it continues to invest in its family of larger business jets. 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 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.