CESSNA FLEW ITS PROTOTYPE Citation Excel "wide-body" light business jet for the first time on 29 February, two weeks ahead of schedule. Certification and first deliveries are planned for the first quarter of 1998. Cessna says that it has sold 88 Excels and is increasing production in 1999 and 2000 to meet demand for the $6.6 million aircraft. After the 70min first flight, engineering test pilot Bob Carnahan said: "The Excel performed very much as we expected, or maybe even a little better. It's very light on the controls...and flies a lot like a CitationJet."
Source: Flight International
