The new Citation X is cleared to operate at Mach 0.935 when it enters service and become the fastest non-military aircraft in the world, Cessna says today in a press release.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) validated mid-size jet’s speed mark as part of the ongoing airworthiness certification programme, Cessna says.
That means the Citation will become the fastest business jet in service when deliveries.
“There is no quicker way to get from point A to point B than inside a Citation X,” says Brad Thress, Cessna’s senior vice-president of business jets.
Cessna plans to deliver the first new Citation X in the first quarter next year. The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce AE3007 engines.
The current speed holder is the Gulfstream G650. The Rolls-Royce BR725-powered large cabin jet can reach M0.925 at maximum operating speed.
The G650 claimed the high-speed title from the original version of the Citation X. Cessna delivered the first Citation X in the mid-1990s with a M0.92 maximum speed.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
