Citation Longitude Makes First Flight

Textron Aviation began the week on uplifting news of Saturday’s successful 2-hour and 2-minute first flight of the company’s new Longitude super midsize business jet.

The Longitude, announced four and a half years ago and unveiled at last year’s NBAA Convention in Las Vegas, departed Beech Field on the east side of Wichita, with experimental test pilots Ed Wenninger and Stuart Rogerson at the controls. The pair tested the Longitude’s flaps, landing gear, pressurization, stability and control systems.

Textron said the airframe that flew Saturday would also be used to continue expanding the performance envelope, focusing on testing flight controls and aerodynamics. The first production-conforming Longitude, set to fly in a few weeks, will be used as a systems-testing platform.

Powered by a pair of Honeywell HTF7700Ls delivering 7,550 pounds of thrust each, the Longitude is a true trans-continental aircraft with a 3,400 nm capability @M0.80, or a 476 ktas top speed, according to Textron. The aircraft’s flat-floor cabin will carry as many as 10 passengers, with a crew of two up front, or a 1,500-pound payload when carrying a full fuel load. The Longitude’s cockpit was created around a Garmin G5000 touch-screen system. At its maximum operating altitude of 45,000 feet, the Longitude’s cabin will remain just under 6,000 feet. The new business jet’s 110-cubic-foot baggage compartment is fully accessible in-flight.

See footage of the Longitude's first flight below.