Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 11 seconds.
Cessna Aircraft Company has announced a significant addition to the eagerly anticipated Citation Latitude mid-size business jet. The cockpit of the seven- to nine-passenger jet will come equipped with auto-throttles as part of the Garmin G5000 avionics package.
The Citation Latitude mock-up is on display throughout the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Business and Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Las Vegas this week. The fuselage mock-up features an added informational gallery in the aft portion of the cabin, showing program highlights and marking the aircraft’s progression towards its anticipated first prototype flight in the first quarter of 2014.
Terry Shriner, Cessna business leader for the Latitude, said, “Auto-throttles are a valuable addition to the already impressive flight deck on the Latitude. Because the pilot no longer has to manually control the engines, auto-throttles represent a big leap ahead in convenience and ease of operations for business jet operators in the mid-size category.”
A common feature on larger aircraft, the addition of auto-throttles to the Latitude flight deck will play a role in reducing pilot workload. The Garmin G5000 avionics keep the most important flight information available at the pilot’s fingertips using touch screen displays while the auto-throttle simultaneously controls engine power and adheres to flight parameters using the system’s auto-pilot feature.
Michael Thacker, Cessna senior vice president of Engineering, says, “The Latitude began as an exciting concept, and it just keeps getting better. We have increased the aircraft’s range by 500 miles, boosted the cabin entertainment capabilities, improved cabin volume, and now we are bringing auto-throttles to the mid-size category. You cannot find an aircraft in this category that tops the Latitude in terms of operational ease, cabin comfort and performance.”
