Modern Aircraft - The Cessna Citation X

Modern Aircraft - The Cessna Citation X

The Cessna Citation X is a medium-sized business jet built by the Cessna Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas. Several aircraft within the Citation family preceded it but is a completely new design not derived from a previous aircraft. The development of the airplane was first announced in October 1990, but a period of six years elapsed before the company could meet several specifications required to obtain certification. The first aircraft was delivered on June 1996.

The Citation X project was more likely a consequence of the overall image of the Citation family of corporate jets. For more than 20 years, the Citation line was known as well handling but slow aircraft. Cessna engineers emphasized practicality and good handling characteristics in detriment of cruise speed. Consequently, the Citation X broke the mold of the typical Citation jet when it became the fastest corporate jet in the world.

Despite the Citation family's traditional line of models, the Citation X is a completely new aircraft that incorporates a number of innovative design features. It is powered by two Rolls-Royce/Allison AE 3007C1 engines, which makes it the first Cessna aircraft to be powered by a Rolls-Royce engine. Due to the efficiency of these engines, a low-drag configuration, and its high-altitude envelope the Citation X burns the same amount of fuel at 0.9 Mach that its competitors burn at 0.8 Mach.

The Citation X has a top speed of 0.92 Mach, which at its normal flight altitude of 43,000 ft is about 525 knots. The length of the plane is 72.3 ft and the wingspan is 63.6 ft. The empty weight is 21,700 lb and the maximum takeoff weight is 36,100 lb. The range is about 3,300 nautical miles, which decreases as the Mach number increases towards the threshold. This is a typical compromise, but the Citation X surpasses most aircraft by setting the threshold higher at .82 Mach. This range makes it easy to travel between any two points in the United States. However, the number of transatlantic routes is limited and the X is incapable of achieving transpacific flights. The crew consists of 2 pilots and the aircraft can seat between 8 to 12 passengers.

The inclusion of powered controls in the Citation X is another premiere for Cessna. The controls are powered by dual-hydraulic systems for redundancy: there are two elevators, the tail plane is all-moving for trim, the rudder is in two pieces and each wing has five spoiler panels to be used both for roll control and as speed brakes.
An upgrade for all Citation Xs was announced by Cessna in October 2000 to be delivered two years later. The main features of this upgraded version are a 5% increase in thrust, a 400 lb increase in maximum take-off weight and improved Honeywell avionics.

The Citation X has changed the image of the Cessna Citation family.