Cessna Powers On First Citation Longitude

Cessna Aircraft has powered on the electrical distribution system of its Cessna Citation Longitude prototype, parent company Textron Aviation announced yesterday. The milestone comes three weeks after the company mated the wing and fuselage of the first Longitude and completes the “next major step” for the super-midsize jet to achieve first flight this summer, the company said.

“We continue to meet our milestones through an industry-leading development schedule to get the Longitude into the hands of our customers,” said Textron Aviation president and CEO Scott Ernest. “The power-on stage allows our team to begin verifying the aircraft’s electrical power system and paves the way for functional tests and engine runs that will get us to first flight in the coming months.”

The Longitude production line is also being set up in Plant IV at Textron Aviation’s East Campus on Beech Field, the former Beechcraft facility that became part of the Textron family in May 2014. The first Longitude test articles are now under construction in Plant III, and as the assembly tooling and processes are finalized, the tooling will move over to Plant IV, where space has already been assigned for Longitude production.

The Longitude is expected to be FAA certified and enter service next year.