New Cessna jet hits flight milestone

PROVIDENCE – Cessna Aircraft Co., a member of the Textron Aviation subsidiary of Textron Inc., celebrated the successful first flight last week of the company’s second-production Citation Latitude Serial 002 aircraft, the latest milestone for the prototype business jet.
The Serial 002 is the third Citation Latitude prototype to join the certification flight-test program and the first to be equipped with a full cabin layout and operational system configuration. The jet will make its public debut in October at the National Business Aviation Association annual event in Orlando.
“The focus of the Latitude team has been on designing and producing the highest quality aircraft, on time that meets our customers’ requirements, and today’s flight was right in line with expectations,” said Chris Hearne, vice president of jet aircraft for Cessna. “We’re looking forward to its public debut at NBAA.”
The Serial 002’s inaugural flight, the first time all three Citation Latitude prototypes were in the air simultaneously, lasted 2.7 hours and was flown by engineering test pilots Andrew Peters and David Stanko. The jet reached a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet and a maximum speed of 0.80 Mach. During the flight, the crew evaluated the autopilot and autothrottle, landing gear, pressurization, engine operating characteristics, environmental systems and flight control systems.
The Latitude certification flight test program for all three prototypes has amassed more than 330 hours in more than 150 flights, Cessna said. Other 2014 milestones met on time include the Citation Latitude prototype’s first flight in February, the Serial 001 first flight and Federal Aviation Administration authorization in May, and start of production line flow in June.
Final FAA type certification is expected next year, the company said.
The Citation Latitude accommodates up to nine passengers, can reach a flight level of 43,000 feet in 23 minutes and has a range of up to 2,500 nautical miles. More than 6,600 Citations have been delivered to customers around the world since the first Cessna Citation business jet was put into service in 1972.

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