Monthly Archives: May 2024

The latest edition of the XLS series features new powerplants, updated avionics, and a flat floor. Could this be a mini Citation Latitude? That was my first impression when I saw the Cessna Citation Ascend mock-up at the European Business Aviation Convention and Expo in Geneva. Textron Aviation (NYSE:TXT) pulled back the curtain on the new model Monday morning at EBACE 2023. The $16.725-million Ascend will be the fifth-generation Citation 560XL when it arrives in 2025, and its refreshed appearance heralds dozens of improvements aimed at sustaining demand for the best-selling business jet in the last quarter century. Almost 1,100 Excel, XLS, XLS+ and XLS Gen 2 Citations have been delivered since 1998. The Ascend has plenty of qualities aimed at extending this sales performance. “The Cessna Citation Ascend builds upon more than 20 years of the 560XL series success in the market,” said Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president, global sales and flight operations for Textron Aviation. “It’s designed to outperform and take our customers further in style.” Under New Power ​Most noticeably on the outside, it has a new and larger flight deck and cabin windows, giving it a sleeker, more contemporary appearance. Under the cowls, Pratt & Whitney Canada’s 4,213 lb thrust PW545D engines offer a modest 1 percent thrust increase, but they’ve been upgraded with more efficient high-pressure cores that boost flow rate and improve durability, compared to the PW545C powerplants that propel the Ascend’s predecessor, the Citation XLS Gen2. The PW545Ds also have enhanced deep-fluted mixer nozzles to mix hot core gas and cold bypass air flows in the exhaust section with less turbulence, resulting in better fuel efficiency and reduced noise. Mid-life inspection and overhaul intervals have been extended to 3,000 hours and

Falcon 10X Dassault Aviation is moving forward on the assembly of its 19-passenger Falcon 10X as it marches toward entry into service in 2027. The Falcon 10X elevates comfort, style and flexibility beyond all expectations. It has the largest cabin of any purpose-built business jet and pioneering safety innovations. Its 7,500 nm (13,890 km) range and Maximum Mach Operating (MMO) speed of Mach .925 make it a powerful business tool. The timeline has slipped behind the original target of 2025. During the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Geneva last May, Dassault Aviation CEO and chairman Éric Trappier indicated some skepticism about the 2025 timeline, pointing to vendor problems and the longer-than-anticipated effects of Covid. However, Carlos Brana, executive v-p of civil aircraft for Dassault Aviation, told AIN that despite the schedule delay, “development is going smoothly” as plans to assemble the aircraft this year proceed. “We are starting to manufacture the parts,” Brana added. “Right now, everything is going according to plan, even if the schedule has slipped a tiny bit.” Once certified, Dassault will bring to market its largest, longest-range Falcon 10X yet, putting it into the realm of the Bombardier Global 7500 and Gulfstream G700. Powered by Rolls-Royce Falcon 10X turbofans producing 18,000 pounds of thrust, the Mach 0.925 aircraft will have a cabin that is 9 feet, 1 inch wide and 6 feet, 8 inches tall, larger than any of the purpose-built business jets in service today. With the longer range, the Falcon 10X opens new city-pair options, such as New York to Shanghai or Hong Kong, and Los Angeles to Sydney. The longer reach allows Dassault to cast a wider offering in the Asia-Pacific market as it continues to expand its