Textron Aviation’s Flagship Longitude Receives FAA Type Certification

Textron Aviation, parent company of Cessna Aircraft, said yesterday that its new super-midsize business jet, the Citation Longitude, has received its type certification from the FAA. Agency type certification paves the way for deliveries of the new airplane to begin.

The Longitude’s certification follows the most robust flight, structural and component qualification testing completed on a Citation to date, with the experimental and demo fleet completing nearly 6,000 hours of flight time according to Textron Aviation. In addition to 11,000 test points checked during the certification process, the Longitude also completed a 31,000-nautical mile world tour, demonstrating the aircraft’s long-range performance capability and reliability in a variety of environments.

The new Citation Longitude includes seating for up to 12 passengers, including an optional crew jump seat. The cabin features a stand-up, 6-foot tall flat-floor cabin. Textron Aviation said a standard double-club configuration delivers 11 percent more leg room than its nearest competitor. The airplane’s fully berthable seats are designed and manufactured in-house. At maximum cruise altitude—45,000 feet—the Longitude’s cabin climbs no higher than 5,950 feet above sea level. The Longitude is powered by a pair of FADEC-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines that include fully integrated autothrottles, as well as flight envelope protection.

Early in its development program, the Citation Longitude exceeded initial performance targets achieving an improved transcontinental range of 3,500 nautical miles and a full fuel payload of 1,600 pounds. The longest-range Citation delivers a maximum cruise speed of 483 ktas.