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February 22, 2008
Cessna Makes Citation History with New Columbus Aircraft
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The Citation Columbus will make history as the largest and longest-range jet in the Cessna Citation family. |
In a move that strengthens its position as the premier global business jet manufacturer, Cessna Aircraft Company recently announced the details of its newest, most advanced Citation aircraft at a press conference in Washington, D.C.
The large cabin, intercontinental aircraft, the Model 850 Citation Columbus, will make history as the largest and longest-range business jet in the Cessna Citation family. It also has been developed to be one of the most advanced, fuel efficient and cleanest business jets ever conceived.
It’s All About the Customer
“We’ve spent five years deepening our customer and segment knowledge so that we can be sure we are introducing a transcontinental aircraft that the market wants,” said Jack J. Pelton, chairman, president and CEO of Cessna. “The Citation Columbus is being designed to be the best value proposition in its class and will be manufactured with a strong focus on reliability and ease of maintenance.”
Cessna spent significant amounts of time with customers to understand exactly what they wanted in a large cabin aircraft. “We listened, we listened big and we listened carefully to ensure we are giving the customer exactly what they want,” said Roger Whyte, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing at Cessna Aircraft. “In doing that, we learned that high-speed cruise with a long range and a large, comfortable cabin were two of the most important characteristics.”
High-Speed Range and Passenger Comfort
To satisfy the high-speed cruise and range performance, the Citation Columbus is designed for intercontinental travel with a target range of 4,000 nautical miles (7,408 kilometers) at a speed of Mach .80 carrying eight passengers. Whether a customer is going from London to Chicago, Singapore to Sydney, Sao Paulo to Miami or many other non-stop transcontinental routes, this new aircraft meets customer needs for those longer distance flights.
The Citation Columbus is designed to provide generous seating room and a low flat floor design for the best passenger comfort in its class. The aircraft is configurable for up to ten passengers and provides a standing aisle height of 73 inches (1.86 meters). It has the longest cabin in its class, and a walk-in luggage hold and lavatory.
At its maximum operating altitude of 45,000 feet (13,716 meters), the Citation Columbus will have a cabin altitude of just 6,700 feet (2,042 meters). This provides superior passenger comfort as lower cabin altitudes lessen fatigue on longer flights and create greater comfort for passengers with sinus conditions or allergies.
When this aircraft was announced as a concept in the Fall of 2006, a large number of potential customers committed to the large cabin program by signing a letter of intent and providing a refundable deposit. In 2008, Cessna will be working to convert these letters of intent into sales and has committed to selling 70 aircraft. The first Citation Columbus is expected to deliver in 2014.
Citation Columbus Partners
While this new business jet is designed and developed by Cessna, three world-class suppliers – Pratt & Whitney Canada, Rockwell Collins and Spirit AeroSystem – will join the company on the Citation Columbus program. Pratt & Whitney Canada, a United Technology company, will provide the power of the aircraft by supplying its new PW810 engine. Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion™ advanced avionics system, will provide knowledge to the pilots. Spirit Aerosystems will produce the fuselage and empennage (the tail assembly) that are newly designed specifically for this aircraft.
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