WICHITA, Kan., Jan. 17, 2012 — Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, said the Citation Ten prototype made its first flight today. The flight lasted more than two hours and included tests of stability and control, handling qualities, functional operations including the autopilot and autothrottle system, engine operability and avionics before landing at Wichita, Kan. Mid-Continent Airport (ICT) where Cessna’s main manufacturing facility is located.

“It took a significant amount of work by a large number of people to get us to this milestone today and I am happy to report that the aircraft performed exceptionally well and handling characteristics were excellent; just as predicted,” said Michael Voigt, Cessna’s engineering test pilot who flew the Ten prototype. “All systems functioned as expected including the Garmin G5000 avionics system. We are looking forward to a successful flight test program and FAA certification.”

Federal Aviation Administration type certification is on track for mid-2013 with first aircraft deliveries planned for the second half of 2013.

“Our first flight, today, was a great success. We have a great team working on this project and I know they will take this dominant aircraft up a notch,” said Kelly Reich, business leader for the Cessna Citation X and Ten.
The Ten is a mid-size aircraft with updated design and performance, enabling it to get to altitude faster and travel farther than the Citation X (Model 750). First announced at the 2010 NBAA convention, the Citation Ten is designed for greater fuel efficiency and increased comfort for up to nine passengers and two pilots.

Two Rolls-Royce AE 3007C2 engines will take a 36,600 pound (16,601 kilogram) MTOW Citation Ten off the ground in 5,150 feet (1,569 meters) and give the aircraft a maximum cruise speed of 527 knots an hour (977 kilometers) and a certified ceiling of 51,000 feet (15,545 meters). The Ten has a maximum range of 3,242 nautical miles (6,008 kilometers), putting city pairings such as New York-London, Boston-San Francisco, London-Dubai and Miami-Seattle within convenient one-hop flights.

The Ten is 15 inches longer than the Citation X, providing extra passenger legroom in the forward club seating area. A new Ten mock-up was debuted at the 2011 NBAA convention with a fresh new interior color scheme, though customers are able to choose the interior stylings that best fit their needs and personality.

Also featuring ClairityTM, Cessna’s proprietary cabin technology solution, the Ten delivers ultimate touch-screen control to the passenger, maximizing the digital entertainment experience from web to movies to moving maps. One convenient panel at each seat provides connections for personal electronic devices.

The Garmin G5000 integrated flight deck is one of the most intuitive pilot-aircraft interfaces ever seen in a business avionics suite. The high-resolution multi-function displays have split-screen capability, allowing continuous monitoring of engine, flight control, hydraulic and electrical systems. Garmin’s SVT synthetic vision technology on the primary flight displays gives the crew a virtual reality view of runways, terrain, traffic and obstacles. Electronic charts with aircraft position overlay provide dynamic situational awareness during approach.

A video highlighting the Citation Ten’s features can be viewed on Cessna’s YouTube channel.

The Royal Air Force Museum Hendon, houses one of the largest aviation collections in the United Kingdom. Over 90 historic aircraft covering the whole span of the first 105 years of aviation development.

We visited the RAF museum in September 2010, and made THIS Photo Report.

Bruno Spagnolini, Chief Executive Officer, AgustaWestland, said “Performing the first flight of the new AW189 just a few months after its launch highlights our strong commitment to providing the market with the most advanced helicopters in the shortest possible timescales. We are delighted with the initial response from the market with a number of leading operators having already committed to buy the AW189 for long range offshore missions.” He went on to say “We are confident as we progress towards certification and production that many more operators will select the AW189 as their new generation helicopter for Search and Rescue, offshore transport and parapublic missions due to its long-range capabilities, attractive operating costs and modern safety features.”

The all new AW189 was launched this year in response to the growing market demand for a versatile, affordable, multirole helicopter in the 8-tonne class and has rapidly found success in the market place. A number of sales have already been secured from leading operators serving the offshore oil and gas markets, including Bristow Helicopters, Bel Air, and Weststar Aviation Services. The AW189 is part of AgustaWestland’s family of new generation helicopters that includes the AW169 and AW139 models. These helicopters all possess the same high performance flight characteristics and safety features and share the same common cockpit layout, design philosophy and maintenance concepts. This approach will deliver real cost savings in areas such as training, maintenance and support for existing operators of the AW139 who add AW169 and/or AW189 helicopters to their fleets. Set to enter service in early 2014, the twin engine AW189 helicopter is optimised for long range offshore transport and SAR missions. The spacious cabin seats 16 passengers in the standard configuration with the option of a high density 18 seat layout or an ultra long range 12 seat configuration. In the SAR role the 11.2 m3 cabin can accommodate a mission console, stretchers and seating for the crew and survivors. A single or dual rescue hoist is positioned above the large sliding cabin door on the starboard side and a range of equipment including FLIR, searchlight and radar can be fitted. Exceptional external visibility and the deployment of the latest in avionics technology make the AW189 the pilot’s choice. The cockpit design incorporates the latest in advanced situational awareness technologies which reduce crew workload and enhance safety. The new generation AW189 will meet the very latest international regulatory safety requirements (EASA / FAA Part 29, JAR OPS 3 / EU-OPS). The AW189 will also benefit from the extensive and expanding AgustaWestland worldwide support network already serving the offshore oil and gas industry. A range of simulator and training devices will progressively be made available to serve the worldwide AW189 customer base.

Source: AgustaWestland

In 2004 we visited the Beauvechain Trainers Meet where air force trainers from European countries got together for training. One day was designated ‘spottersday’.

Visit the photo-page

Click this link to see the photo’s