Cessna Citation X — 10 for 10 ATLEY JACK ATLEY JACK 10 for 10 — X Citation Cessna The Cessna Citation X is synonymous with the word “speed”. “speed”. word the with synonymous is X Citation Cessna The Contributor Benn Marks explains why. why. explains Marks Benn Contributor WHEN IT ENTERED SERVICE IN 1996, the sleek, highly advanced fast. It was designed to cross the US continent faster than anything anything than faster continent US the cross to designed was It fast. advanced highly sleek, the 1996, IN SERVICE ENTERED IT WHEN Citation jet was acknowledged as being the fastest business jet in else, and that was its primary role,” JetCity managing director and and director managing JetCity role,” primary its was that and else, in jet business fastest the being as acknowledged was jet Citation the world, period. It eclipsed all competitors — regardless of class — chief pilot, Lorne Cole, says. “And as far as modern corporate aircraft aircraft corporate modern as far as “And says. Cole, Lorne pilot, chief — class of regardless — competitors all eclipsed It period. world, the and boasted a maximum cruising speed of Mach 0.92. In fact, after go, this one handles beautifully. Because it was a clean-sheet design, design, clean-sheet a was it Because beautifully. handles one this go, after fact, In 0.92. Mach of speed cruising maximum a boasted and the retirement of the Concorde in 2003, the Citation X was consid - and so much time and effort was spent on the aerodynamics and and aerodynamics the on spent was effort and time much so and - consid was X Citation the 2003, in Concorde the of retirement the ered the fastest civil aircraft in the world before it briefly relinquished handling qualities of the aircraft, it really does just fly beautifully and and beautifully fly just does really it aircraft, the of qualities handling relinquished briefly it before world the in aircraft civil fastest the ered the title to a rival company’s design in 2012. it’s probably the nicest handling jet I’ve flown,” he adds. adds. he flown,” I’ve jet handling nicest the probably it’s 2012. in design company’s rival a to title the However, the Citation X’s younger, ever-so-slightly larger sibling, Cole is quick to point out the Citation X is not just all about speed speed about all just not is X Citation the out point to quick is Cole sibling, larger ever-so-slightly younger, X’s Citation the However, the Citation X+, reclaimed the title for Cessna in 2014, something and handling characteristics, as it offers a princely ride for the com- - com the for ride princely a offers it as characteristics, handling and something 2014, in Cessna for title the reclaimed X+, Citation the which it has held ever since (the Citation X+’s maximum speed be - pany’s corporate and executive charter clientele too. Being in the the in Being too. clientele charter executive and corporate pany’s - be speed maximum X+’s Citation (the since ever held has it which ing a very impressive Mach 0.935). As for the original leading edge, midsize segment, the Citation X cabin is furnished with double-club double-club with furnished is cabin X Citation the segment, midsize edge, leading original the for As 0.935). Mach impressive very a ing clean-sheet design Citation X — it comprehensively demolished any seating for eight passengers, and has a belted seat immediately immediately seat belted a has and passengers, eight for seating any demolished comprehensively it — X Citation design clean-sheet doubts about whether Cessna could design competitively fast jets behind the forward galley, plus a belted lavatory seat. The passenger passenger The seat. lavatory belted a plus galley, forward the behind jets fast competitively design could Cessna whether about doubts when it arrived on the business aviation scene over 20 years ago. cabin is also a winner with passengers because it’s relatively large; a a large; relatively it’s because passengers with winner a also is cabin ago. years 20 over scene aviation business the on arrived it when And the reality is it can still hold its own with the best of them today. very generous 23ft 7in in length, while cabin height and width scale scale width and height cabin while length, in 7in 23ft generous very today. them of best the with own its hold still can it is reality the And In fact, in terms of raw speed alone, the original Citation X model is is 5ft 7in and 5ft 6in, respectively. Even when seated there is plenty plenty is there seated when Even respectively. 6in, 5ft and 7in 5ft is is model X Citation original the alone, speed raw of terms in fact, In still regarded as one of the fastest civil jets in the world. It also just of head and shoulder room, so occupants can freely swivel in their their in swivel freely can occupants so room, shoulder and head of just also It world. the in jets civil fastest the of one as regarded still happens to be a consummate performer in the midsize segment, as seats without body parts hitting cabin walls. walls. cabin hitting parts body without seats as segment, midsize the in performer consummate a be to happens well as a stunning design. Cole says that on an average charter flight the jet will carry carry will jet the flight charter average an on that says Cole design. stunning a as well Many examples of the impressive jet can be found operating anywhere from four to six passengers, with a flight crew of two two of crew flight a with passengers, six to four from anywhere operating found be can jet impressive the of examples Many around the world. In Australia, JetCity is one such company to have upfront. The Citation X also comes with a spacious lavatory at the the at lavatory spacious a with comes also X Citation The upfront. have to company such one is JetCity Australia, In world. the around a Citation X on its books flying customers near the speed of sound rear, which is big enough to double up as a private dressing room room dressing private a as up double to enough big is which rear, sound of speed the near customers flying books its on X Citation a in luxury since 2008. for guests to change in before landing. It also provides plenty of of plenty provides also It landing. before in change to guests for 2008. since luxury in “You don’t buy a Citation X to go slow. If you want to go slow you luggage space with a heated, pressurised baggage compartment compartment baggage pressurised heated, a with space luggage you slow go to want you If slow. go to X Citation a buy don’t “You buy a hot air balloon, that’s the thing. The people who buy these that can hold 700lbs of baggage. baggage. of 700lbs hold can that these buy who people The thing. the that’s balloon, air hot a buy airplanes, and the people who charter these airplanes, want to go “The cabin is large and well-equipped. It’s also very comfortable and and comfortable very also It’s well-equipped. and large is cabin “The go to want airplanes, these charter who people the and airplanes, 40 AsianAviation | October 2017 2017 October | AsianAviation 40 AAV_October 2017-ok.indd 40 18/09/2017 10:45 AAV_October_2017.indd 40 14/09/2017 12:40:26 PM PM 12:40:26 14/09/2017 40 AAV_October_2017.indd BUSINESS AVIATION BUSINESS BUSINESS AVIATION From a systems perspective, the Citation X comes equipped equipped comes X Citation the perspective, systems a From oven, microwave a with galley good a got It’s in. travel to quiet very very quiet to travel in. It’s got a good galley with a microwave oven, From a systems perspective, the Citation X comes equipped with some little whiz-bang goodies that help it to fly fast and high. high. and fast fly to it help that goodies whiz-bang little some with entertainment Inflite DVD dual a got it’s and areas, cold and hot and and hot and cold areas, and it’s got a dual DVD Inflite entertainment with some little whiz-bang goodies that help it to fly fast and high. Besides the obvious and impressive highly efficient swept wing, wing, swept efficient highly impressive and obvious the Besides their appreciate to seem really and it like passengers the So system. system. So the passengers like it and really seem to appreciate their Besides the obvious and impressive highly efficient swept wing, the jet is also equipped with two fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Allison Allison Rolls-Royce fuel-efficient two with equipped also is jet the X Citation the in tours few a do also We aircraft. this in flying time time flying in this aircraft. We also do a few tours in the Citation X the jet is also equipped with two fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Allison AE3007C1 turbofan engines, each capable of pushing out 6,764lbs 6,764lbs out pushing of capable each engines, turbofan AE3007C1 it. with familiar are passengers and speed, and range its of because because of its range and speed, and passengers are familiar with it. AE3007C1 turbofan engines, each capable of pushing out 6,764lbs of thrust. Cole mentions that “as long as you’ve got 1,500 metres of of metres 1,500 got you’ve as long “as that mentions Cole thrust.