Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today the first production New Citation Sovereign rolled off the production line in the company's Wichita, Kan., manufacturing facility. The New Citation Sovereign is one of six new Cessna aircraft expected to hit the market this year.
"This rollout today is proof of Cessna's commitment to bringing new products to customers in 2013, and demonstrates our strong investment in the future," said Kelly Reich, business leader for the New Citation Sovereign. The aircraft was announced at the National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) trade show in Orlando five months ago. Reich continues, "It's a short turn-around from just announcing this program last fall, to already having an aircraft rolling out the door and headed to the next stages of completion. This is a testament to the team of people designing and building Cessna's next generation of aircraft. It takes hard work and dedication to accomplish what this team has accomplished.
"The newest Citation will have a range of 3,000 nm (3,452 statute miles). It features improved cabin cooling, Garmin G5000 avionics with auto throttles, and a new cabin management system. Winglets have been added to the New Sovereign, contributing to the increase range and enabling a direct climb to 45,000 feet. With a newly announced five year warranty package, the New Sovereign offers owners even greater value.
"Success breeds success and that's easy to see with the New Sovereign," said Michael Thacker, senior vice president of Engineering. "Once again, Cessna took a great aircraft and made it even better. The New Citation Sovereign is another example of our employee's capabilities to take customer feedback, combined with advanced design and deliver an aircraft the market has asked for, and do it quickly."
The Citation Sovereign has been in service since 2004. It features one of the longest cabins for its class, has a typical seating configuration for nine passengers and is well known for being able to operate into and out of short runways. Type certification and entry into service for the New Citation Sovereign is slated for the third quarter. The New Citation Sovereign will have a maximum cruise speed of 458 kts (527 statute miles per hour).