Modern Aircraft - The Cessna Citation X

The Cessna Citation X is a medium-sized business jetThe Citation X has a top speed of 0.92 Mach, which
built by the Cessna Aircraft Company of Wichita,at its normal flight altitude of 43,000 ft is about 525
Kansas. Several aircraft within the Citation familyknots. The length of the plane is 72.3 ft and the
preceded it but is a completely new design notwingspan is 63.6 ft. The empty weight is 21,700 lb
derived from a previous aircraft. The development ofand the maximum takeoff weight is 36,100 lb. The
the airplane was first announced in October 1990, butrange is about 3,300 nautical miles, which decreases
a period of six years elapsed before the companyas the Mach number increases towards the threshold.
could meet several specifications required to obtainThis is a typical compromise, but the Citation X
certification. The first aircraft was delivered on Junesurpasses most aircraft by setting the threshold
1996.higher at .82 Mach. This range makes it easy to travel
The Citation X project was more likely abetween any two points in the United States.
consequence of the overall image of the CitationHowever, the number of transatlantic routes is limited
family of corporate jets. For more than 20 years, theand the X is incapable of achieving transpacific flights.
Citation line was known as well handling but slowThe crew consists of 2 pilots and the aircraft can
aircraft. Cessna engineers emphasized practicality andseat between 8 to 12 passengers.
good handling characteristics in detriment of cruiseThe inclusion of powered controls in the Citation X is
speed. Consequently, the Citation X broke the moldanother premiere for Cessna. The controls are
of the typical Citation jet when it became thepowered by dual-hydraulic systems for redundancy:
fastest corporate jet in the world.there are two elevators, the tail plane is all-moving
Despite the Citation family's traditional line of models,for trim, the rudder is in two pieces and each wing
the Citation X is a completely new aircraft thathas five spoiler panels to be used both for roll control
incorporates a number of innovative design features.and as speed brakes.
It is powered by two Rolls-Royce/Allison AE 3007C1An upgrade for all Citation Xs was announced by
engines, which makes it the first Cessna aircraft toCessna in October 2000 to be delivered two years
be powered by a Rolls-Royce engine. Due to thelater. The main features of this upgraded version are
efficiency of these engines, a low-drag configuration,a 5% increase in thrust, a 400 lb increase in
and its high-altitude envelope the Citation X burns themaximum take-off weight and improved Honeywell
same amount of fuel at 0.9 Mach that its competitorsavionics.
burn at 0.8 Mach.