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Textron Aviation has confirmed that it is bringing a mock up of its newest jet, the Cessna Citation Ascend, to the 2023 National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), where it will make its North American debut.
The mock up will be available during the show at Textron’s static display at Henderson Executive Airport, Las Vegas, from Oct. 17 to 19. According to the company, it will feature a “fully sustainable interior, a new hard shell exterior with a custom paint scheme, and additional functionality within the cabin.”
Introduced earlier this year, the Citation Ascend builds on Textron’s 560XL series of aircraft — based on customer feedback. The aircraft integrates a completely new cockpit, enhanced performance capabilities, and a “luxurious cabin” designed to cater to the needs of passengers.
“We designed the Ascend to take the best from our legendary 560XL series — the most successful family of business jets — and set a new standard in terms of comfort and performance,” said Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice-president of global sales and flight operations at Textron. “For the first time in North America, customers can see for themselves how the Ascend can transform their business or travel experiences and give them versatility and flexibility to accomplish any mission, now and in the future.”
The Citation Ascend is currently in the development phase and is anticipated to enter into service in 2025. Just last month, Textron announced NetJets as the launch customer for the type.
Preliminary performance targets for the Ascend include a four-passenger range of 1,900 nautical miles at high-speed cruise power (with an estimated maximum range of 2,100 nm); a cruise speed of 441 knots; and the capability to climb direct to 45,000 feet.
The aircraft is to be powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545D engine, designed for enhanced fuel efficiency and increased thrust, coupled with Garmin G5000 avionics incorporating the latest software and hardware — including autothrottle technology. Additionally, the Ascend will be equipped with a Honeywell RE100 [XL] auxiliary power unit (APU), approved for unattended operations.
Like the Citation Latitude and Longitude jets, the Ascend was designed to include a flat floor “to provide generous legroom and flexibility for passengers,” Textron said. The aircraft has a standard seating configuration of nine passengers, with the option to seat up to 12 passengers.
The Citation Ascend will be joined by several other aircraft from Textron’s product line at NBAA-BACE, including: the Cessna Citation Longitude and Latitude; Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2; Cessna Citation M2 Gen2; Cessna Grand Caravan EX in a special missions configuration; Beechcraft King Air 360; and the Beechcraft Denali, which is set to make its NBAA-BACE debut, following its world debut at EAA AirVenture in July.
