Cessna Aircraft Company revealed details of its recently announced large-cabin jet at a press conference in Washington on Wednesday. The intercontinental aircraft will be called the Model 850 Citation Columbus. The jet is designed for intercontinental travel, Cessna said, with a target range of 4,000 nautical miles at Mach .80 carrying eight passengers. The ship will be powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW810 engines. A Rockwell Collins integrated flight deck will go in the cockpit. The airframe will be all aluminum. Columbus will be Cessna’s largest business jet. “This provides the perfect platform at the top end of our product line for customers looking for more space, more range, more economy and more capability,” said Jack Pelton, chairman, president and CEO of Cessna. “This aircraft will be Cessnas greatest achievement.”
Preliminary performance numbers set a maximum cruise speed of 488 knots, a full fuel payload of 1,950 pounds and takeoff field length of 5,400 feet at maximum takeoff weight. The aircraft will measure 77 feet nose to tail and 80 feet wingtip to wingtip. Its cabin length of 36.3 feet, including interior baggage space, is the longest in its class by nearly two feet, says Cessna, and can hold up to 10 passengers. The initial price estimate for the Citation Columbus is $27 million. Cessna plans to achieve FAA certification by the end of 2013, with deliveries beginning in 2014.
