Cessna Announces Preliminary Performance Increases for Citation CJ4

Cessna Aircraft Company recently released preliminary performance increases for the Citation CJ4.

According to Cessna, results of extensive engineering flight testing have validated significant performance enhancements including a maximum speed of 452 knots (838 kilometers per hour), a range of 1,963 nautical miles (3,638 kilometers) with two crew and five passengers, and a direct climb to 45,000 feet (13,716 meters) in just 28 minutes at maximum takeoff weight.

Photo Credit: Cessna

“We are very pleased with these preliminary figures for the CJ4. Our customers have been eagerly awaiting the performance results after months of collecting data. We believe these performance increases will delight our customers as well as position the CJ4 in a class of its own,” said CJ4 Program Manager Norm Baker.

Photo Credit: Cessna

The Citation CJ4 also offers a “best in class” standard equipment list including a four-screen Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite with electronic charts and graphical weather, TCAS II, EGPWS Class A TAWS, Dual Mode S Diversity transponders with ADS-B out capability, Multi-Scan weather radar, Emergency Descent Mode, and an essential electrical bus.

The aircraft will also debut the new Williams International FJ44-4A electronically controlled (FADEC) engines. The cabin can be configured for up to eight passengers with a standard, belted aft lavatory. The Citation CJ4 also features the Rockwell Collins Venue cabin management system that includes BluRay DVD with HD monitors and XM radio. To date, the CJ4 test aircraft have flown more than 900 flights and accumulated more than 1,500 flight hours.

Cessna expects to begin deliveries as expected in the first half of 2010.

Source: Cessna

Cessna Offers Deposit Amplifier for Retail Skylane and Turbo Skylane Aircraft Purchased Through 2009

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Cessna Aircraft Company recently announced a “deposit amplifier” program through the end of the year that adds $30,000 to a deposit on a retail order for qualifying new Cessna 182 or Turbo 182 Skylane single-engine piston aircraft.

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Also included in the offer is a free service bulletin kit for one of the following software upgrades: Garmin’s Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) or Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (TAWS-B), or Jeppesen Chartview (subscription not included). The service bulletin kit will be installed by the local dealer. Depending on the buyer’s individual circumstances, the aircraft may also qualify for accelerated depreciation if it is purchased by the end of the year.

Photo Credit: Cessna

The Cessna 182 and Turbo 182 Skylane is a four-place single-engine, high-wing piston aircraft featuring a Textron Lycoming IO-540 engine, advanced Garmin G1000 avionics, and a range of more than 900 miles. When fitted with a turbocharger, the top speed jumps from 150 knots to 176 knots, or about 202 mph. The package is available through Cessna’s network of authorized dealers to new retail customers anywhere in the world.

Source: Cessna

Gulfstream Rolls Out New Flagship Aircraft: The Gulfstream G650

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Gulfstream Aerospace recently rolled out its new flagship business jet, the all-new Gulfstream G650, at company headquarters in Savannah. The aircraft rolled out under its own power. First announced in March 2008, the ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range G650 remains on schedule for customer deliveries in 2012.

Photo Credit: Gulfstream

Approximately 7,000 people gathered at the new G650 manufacturing building for the aircraft’s debut. The audience included state and local dignitaries, customers, certifying authorities, supplier representatives, members of the G650 development team and many other employees at the Savannah facility.

Photo Credit: Gulfstream

“We’ve all been looking forward to this day since we officially announced the G650 program last year,” said Joe Lombardo, executive vice president, General Dynamics Aerospace group. “Simply put, the Gulfstream G650 is in a class by itself. I want to thank everyone who made this aircraft possible. I share the tremendous amount of pride you have for this significant piece of aviation history. Like you, I am eagerly awaiting the first flight later this year.”

Photo Credit: Gulfstream

The G650 offers the longest range, fastest speed, largest cabin and the most advanced cockpit in the Gulfstream fleet. It features an all-new fuselage cross section, allowing a wider and taller cabin than the previous top-of-the-line G550 model. The G650 is capable of traveling 7,000 nautical miles at 0.85 Mach and has a maximum operating speed of 0.925, which will make it the fastest civil aircraft flying. It can climb to an altitude of 51,000 feet, which allows it to avoid traffic and inclement weather.

Photo Credit: Gulfstream

“Our customers had an instrumental role in the design of the G650,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “The G650 will set new levels of performance in aircraft capability, cabin environment and maintainability. Customer input was used to guide fuselage size selection as well as aircraft performance characteristics.

Source: Gulfstream

Cessna Finance Corporation Offers New Finance Option

Cessna Aircraft Company has announced that its sister company, Cessna Finance Corporation (CFC), has initiated a new finance program with lower rates available for Cessna's single-engine piston and Caravan aircraft purchased in 2009.

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"We are finding many people are ready to buy a new aircraft but are unsure about where to finance the purchase, so CFC initiated this program to ease their concern with a smoother process and lower rates," said John Doman, vice president, Worldwide Propeller Aircraft Sales."And since many of these aircraft are used for business, they may also qualify in the United States for accelerated depreciation, an option of the 2009 Federal stimulus package that is set to expire this year," Doman said. "It really is an excellent time to buy a new Cessna."

The CFC program offers new rates for the entire Cessna line of propeller aircraft: the Cessna 172, 182 and 206 high-wing pistons, the Corvalis and Corvalis TT high-performance pistons, and the 208/208B Caravan/Grand Caravan turboprops.

Source: Cessna

Two New Features Available With The Cirrus Perspective by Garmin

The Cirrus Aircraft News site reports that the AOPA Directory and automatic database synchronization are now available with the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin avionics suite.

Photo Credit: Cirrus Aircraft

According to Cirrus Aircraft, the The AOPA Directory allows access to useful airport information, including rental cars, airport restaurants and lodging.The new automatic database synchronization feature will automatically check all databases stored on the digital cards.

Source: Cirrus Aircraft

Gulfstream Marks 500th Enhanced Vision System Entry-Into-Service

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Gulfstream recently marked the entry-into-service of its 500th revolutionary Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System (EVS). The milestone comes eight years after the company began offering the industry-leading flight deck technology to operators of large-cabin Gulfstream aircraft.

The original Gulfstream EVS, and now the second-generation EVS II, uses a nose-mounted FLIR (forward-looking infrared) camera, specially designed by Elbit Systems of America –Commercial Aviation Kollsman, to generate actual, real-time images of the aircraft’s surroundings. The system dramatically increases situational awareness at night and during low-visibility daylight conditions by allowing pilots to see terrain, runways, taxiways and approaches that are undetectable by unaided sight. To date, EVS I is in-service on 464 Gulfstream aircraft, while EVS II is in-service on 36Gulfstream aircraft.

“For more than 50 years, safety has been the prime focus at Gulfstream,” said Pres Henne,senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream.“This milestone reaffirms that. It has been said that the Gulfstream EVS is one of the greatest strides forward in aviation safety since the introduction of the instrument landing system in 1929.”

Source: Gulfstream

Cessna Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Citation's First Flight

Cessna Aircraft Company is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the maiden flight of the Citation, the first airplane model in what has become the largest fleet of business jets in the world.

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On Sept. 15, 1969, pilot-in-command Milt Sills and co-pilot J.L. LeSueur flew the first prototype of the Cessna Citation from Wichita's Municipal Airport (now Mid-Continent Airport). The one hour and 45 minute flight was a significant milestone in bringing the company's first business jet to market. Flight testing continued until certification in September 1971, followed by deliveries in January 1972.

Photo Credit: Cessna

Cessna had unveiled a mockup of the aircraft in October 1968, originally calling it the Fanjet 500. The concept was to offer a growing population of business travelers an aircraft that was an easy transition for twin-engine turboprop pilots and a quieter, simpler, safer and less expensive option than other business jets on the market. At a price of about $695,000, the Citation offered a maximum cruise speed of 349 knots true air speed in a six-passenger, pressurized, turbofan-powered business jet with short takeoff and landing requirements.

Source: Cessna