Textron Aviation Flies Second Citation Ascend Test Jet | Aviation International News

Second Citation Ascend Test Article Takes Flight

The program is on track for entry into service in early 2025

Cessna Citation Ascend P1 business jet first flight — Textron Aviation's second flight test aircraft for the Cessna Citation Ascend takes off for its debut flight, on June 13, 2024.

By Matt Thurber • Editor-in-Chief

June 14, 2024

Textron Aviation's second Cessna Citation Ascend flight-test article—dubbed P1since it also is the first conforming production airplane—took to the air for the first time yesterday. The flight lasted one hour 24 minutes, during which the twinjet climbed to 13,500 feet and reached a speed of 308 knots. It was piloted by senior flight test pilot Michael Bradfield and principal engineering test pilot Maurice Girard.

The Ascend is an update to the 560XL family, replacing the XLS+ cabin’s trenched center aisle with a flat floor and the Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite with a touchscreen-controlled Garmin G5000 system with autothrottles. Engines are uprated to more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545Ds, and the Ascend will have a 300-pound higher maximum takeoff weight of 20,500 pounds, maximum payload increase of 50 pounds to 2,390 pounds, and range increase to 1,900 nm at high-speed cruise, up from 1,750 nm in the XLS+.

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The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

Cessna Citation 560XL, Excel, XL, XLS, and Ascend

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