Textron Aviation Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of First Cessna Citation Business Jet
Cessna aircraft brand owner Textron Aviation is taking September to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the first Citation jet. Since the Cessna Citation 500, originally known as the Fanjet 500, made its inaugural flight on September 15, 1969, Cessna has entered 7,500-plus Citation jets into service globally. Collectively, the fleet has logged more than 35 million flight hours. The Citation lineup now includes the M2, CJ3+, CJ4, XLS+, Latitude, Sovereign+, and Longitude models.
Meet The Citations
Textron says the Fanjet 500 combined Cessna’s expertise at manufacturing single- and twin-engine general aviation planes with its proficiency in producing military jet aircraft. After redubbing the Fanjet 500 prototype as the Citation 500, the jet made it maiden flight from Cessna’s headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. “The same vision that led to the creation of the original Citation 50 years ago still guides us today,” says Ron Draper, Textron Aviation CEO and president. “We are building on our history as an industry leader and investing in the future to continue to exceed customer expectations.”
With the Citation family, Textron claims to have “set the standard for the small jet market.” The current Citation lineup ranges from seven- to 12-passenger models. Light jet-class Citations, of which Textron says it has delivered 5,000 worldwide, include the Citation CJ3+ and CJ4. Those models “share the Model 500 design heritage,” Textron notes. Midsized Citations include the XLS+, Sovereign+, and Latitude. Textron says the latter is the industry’s most delivered midsize business jet model three years running. The super-midsize Longitude, meanwhile, includes a 6-foot (1.83-meter) flat-floor cabin.
“Our Unwavering Commitment”
Draper says every Citation model produced since the first Citation flight 50 years ago has been deeply rooted in the efforts of employees, suppliers, and customers. Today’s lineup, he says, “incorporates our unwavering commitment to value-added innovation, design, and production excellence and unrivaled customer support.”
You’ll find a huge selection of new and used Cessna aircraft for sale every day on Controller.com, including Citation 500s, Citation Latitudes, and many other models for sale.
Source: Textron Aviation
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