Federal Aviation Administration type certification is on track for mid-2013 with first aircraft deliveries planned for the second half of 2013.

“Our first flight, today, was a great success. We have a great team working on this project and I know they will take this dominant aircraft up a notch,” said Kelly Reich, business leader for the Cessna Citation X and Ten.

The Ten is a mid-size aircraft with updated design and performance, enabling it to get to altitude faster and travel farther than the Citation X (Model 750). First announced at the 2010 NBAA convention, the Citation Ten is designed for greater fuel efficiency and increased comfort for up to nine passengers and two pilots.

Two Rolls-Royce AE 3007C2 engines will take a 36,600 pound (16,601 kilogram) MTOW Citation Ten off the ground in 5,150 feet (1,569 meters) and give the aircraft a maximum cruise speed of 527 knots an hour (977 kilometers) and a certified ceiling of 51,000 feet (15,545 meters). The Ten has a maximum range of 3,242 nautical miles (6,008 kilometers), putting city pairings such as New York-London, Boston-San Francisco, London-Dubai and Miami-Seattle within convenient one-hop flights.

The Ten is 15 inches longer than the Citation X, providing extra passenger legroom in the forward club seating area. A new Ten mock-up was debuted at the 2011 NBAA convention with a fresh new interior color scheme, though customers are able to choose the interior stylings that best fit their needs and personality.

Also featuring Clairity^TM, Cessna’s proprietary cabin technology solution, the Ten delivers ultimate touch-screen control to the passenger, maximizing the digital entertainment experience from web to movies to moving maps. One convenient panel at each seat provides connections for personal electronic devices.

The Garmin G5000 integrated flight deck is one of the most intuitive pilot-aircraft interfaces ever seen in a business avionics suite. The high-resolution multi-function displays have split-screen capability, allowing continuous monitoring of engine, flight control, hydraulic and electrical systems. Garmin’s SVT synthetic vision technology on the primary flight displays gives the crew a virtual reality view of runways, terrain, traffic and obstacles. Electronic charts with aircraft position overlay provide dynamic situational awareness during approach.

A video highlighting the Citation Ten’s features can be viewed on Cessna’s YouTube channel. Visit our gallery of Citation Ten images.

Click on the photo links below to download high-res versions.

Citation Ten first flight take-off
Citation Ten first flight in air 1
Citation Ten first flight in air 2

The presentation took place at the Cessna exhibit at the 64th NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention taking place here this week.

Norber is president of ELJ Aviation, a jet management company based in Sanford, Fla., operating the Citation CJ2+ and a Citation Mustang.

The Citation CJ2+ is part of the CJ family of light business jets from Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company. The CJ2+ holds six passengers in the main cabin and has a 1,600-nautical mile range and a top speed of 418 knots.

NAA Speed record photo – NAA President and CEO Jonathan Gaffney (right) presents a speed record certificate to Eric Norber (left), president of ELJ Aviation. Norber set the class speed record for a Reykjavik to London course in a Cessna Citation CJ2+.

With space for a crew of two plus up to eight passengers, the Citation Latitude features Garmin G5000 avionics and a clean-sheet, 84-inch fuselage for a 6-foot high, flat floor passenger cabin.

“The Citation Latitude is a game-changer for the mid-size segment, offering the payload, speed and range the market requires with an unmatched cabin experience at this price point,” said Brad Thress, senior vice president, Cessna Business Jets.

Positioned between the Citation XLS+ and Citation Sovereign in Cessna’s product line, the Citation Latitude offers a full fuel payload of 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms), a maximum cruise speed of 442 knots true airspeed (819 kilometers per hour) and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,704 kilometers). The aircraft is priced at $14.9 million in 2011 USD.

Preliminary specifications project the aircraft will operate at airports with runways as short as 3,900 feet (1,189 meters), will have a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet (13,716 meters) and will climb direct to 43,000 feet (13,106 meters) in 23 minutes. First flight of the Citation Latitude prototype is expected to be mid-year 2014, with FAA certification (Part 25) and entry into service expected in 2015.

“Our team used extensive market research to configure the Citation Latitude and the results are seen from nose to tail and from wingtip to wingtip on the Latitude’s swept wing,” Thress said. “Nowhere is the Latitude’s uniqueness more visible than inside the cabin.”

From just behind the cockpit through the rear lavatory, a flat floor provides stand-up access throughout the 16-plus foot cabin. The main passenger cabin — Cessna’s widest in history — is 77 inches wide (1.95 meters) with a height of 72 inches (1.83 meters). The standard seating arrangement accommodates passengers in a single-club with a forward, dual side-facing couch. Six pedestal seats track forward and aft 7 inches (.18 m) and laterally 4 inches (.10 m) on the seat base with 180 degree swiveling capability and infinite recline positions. Cabin-length indirect LED lighting is provided overhead in the passenger service units with variable adjustment for direct reading lights and more.

“The requirements for business travel have evolved to more than comfort and convenience; the use of innovative technology is key to providing a more efficient and productive aircraft cabin, which is critical to meeting expectations of a fully functioning work environment,” said Cindy Halsey, Cessna vice president, Interior Design, Engineering and Development. “Through our new Clairity^TM cabin technology system, we have an intuitive user interface to offer customers a ‘smart’ airplane for the ultimate connectivity experience.”

Developed by Cessna in partnership with Dallas-based Heads Up Technologies, Clairity is an intelligent cabin technology solution that ties into the aircraft avionics systems and can integrate cabin electrical systems and data and communication sharing through a fiber optic backbone controlled through either an intuitive touch-screen user interface at each seat or the customer’s personal electronic device.

The Citation Latitude’s cockpit is anchored by the new, fully integrated Garmin G5000 system that centers on three 14-inch LCD primary and multifunction displays and four touch-screen control panels. It includes an integrated Flight Director/Autopilot and Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS). Among the standard features of the new system are a pilot-vehicle touch-screen interface, TCAS II with Change 7.1, Synthetic Vision Technology, electronic charts, Garmin’s SafeTaxi, a dual flight management system with WAAS LPV and RNP, solid-state weather radar with turbulence detection and vertical scan capability, integrated terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), ADS-B Out and Link 2000+ data link. Options include satellite weather and an ICAO Type 1A flight data recorder.

A cabin mock-up of the new Citation Latitude is on display through Wednesday at Cessna’s exhibit (Booth #C9044) in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

High-resolution images:

Citation Latitude in-flight horizontal rendering

Citation Latitude in-flight vertical rendering

Citation Latitude hangar rendering

Citation Latitude cockpit photo

Citation Latitude forward-aft interior photo

Citation Latitude aft-forward interior photo

Cessna Showcases New Citation Mock-Ups along with Entire Line of Current Production Business Jets at NBAA
Cessna brings a mock-up of its newly unveiled Citation M2 business jet as a centerpiece to its product lineup for the 64th National Business Aviation Association Annual Meeting and Convention. Read the release here.

Cessna’s Clairity Cabin Technology System Provides an Industry Leading, Intuitive Cabin Experience
Cessna today introduced its Clairity ™ cabin technology system, a scalable solution for controlling the cabin via an intuitive user interface. The Clairity cabin technology system is on display inside the Citation Ten and Citation M2 mock-ups at the Cessna exhibit (#C9044) at the 64th NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Read the release here.

Cessna Citation Ten Program on Track, New Interior on Display
Cessna said today at the NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention the Citation Ten program is on track for first flight by year-end and deliveries are planned for the second half of 2013. Read the releases here.

Cessna to Deliver CJ4 to Hahn Air for Unique Scheduled Service
Cessna said today at the NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention that Germany’s Hahn Air will this week take delivery of a new Citation CJ4. In a unique move, Hahn Air will operate the jet as a scheduled airline service, conducted as a codeshare, between Düsseldorf and Luxembourg. Read the release here.

Cessna Citation Mustang Fleet Closing in on 400
Cessna said at the NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention its popular Citation Mustang is reaching a fleet size of nearly 380 aircraft and more than 175,000 hours. Read the release here.

Cessna Grows Mobile Service Unit Fleet to Support Citations
Cessna has added four new ground-based Mobile Service Units to serve Citation owners and operators throughout North America. An MSU is at Cessna’s static display at Henderson Executive Airport during the 64th NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention Oct. 10-12. Read the release here.

Citation Service Centers Offer Honeywell Primus Elite for Citation X; Safe Flight AutoPower Throttle System Nears Certification
Cessna said today that the Honeywell Primus Elite avionics platform has been certified for retrofit on Citation X business jets and the upgrade is available through the Cessna Citation Service Center network. Read the release here.

Valencia Citation Service Center on Track to Open in Late 2012
Cessna said today at the NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention that it is on track to open its second European Citation Service Center by the fourth quarter of 2012. Read the release here.

Visit Cessna’s online newsroom at cessna.com/newsroom.html.

Speaking today at the ‘Business Aircraft Europe’ conference at London Biggin Hill Airport, Margetson-Rushmore said: “Wouldn’t it be great to see the business aviation industry finally embraced and recognised by the wider community for its true financial worth and contribution?

“Our industry is an important enabler to economic growth and a significant employer, directly and indirectly, across Europe. We need to convey these points more widely and more powerfully, which means sustained and cohesive communication to the general population and the business community, not least through politicians and national journalists.

“So whether ensuring the economic benefits of business aviation are being prominently promoted, or dealing with the negative issues our industry faces, we all need to allocate more time and resources to public image. If we each take greater responsibility, we will be able to make more progress in educating politicians and the public about what we do, for whom and why.”