Textron Aviation today announced the Cessna Citation Ascend continues to progress through its certification program and will be equipped with the latest enhancements to the Garmin G5000 avionics suite. This flight deck will provide pilots with significant technological advances when it enters into service, expected to be in 2025.
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Textron Aviation | Cessna Citation Ascend Cockpit (Photo: Textron Aviation)
The Cessna Citation Ascend is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT, Financial) company.
The Ascend program includes two test articles – Prototype (Proto) and P1 – which have accumulated nearly 600 flight hours through more than 200 flights.
"Citation business jets are renowned for their superior performance and productivity,” said Lannie O'Bannion, senior vice president of Global Sales & Flight Operations. “Including the Garmin G5000 in the Citation Ascend demonstrates our continued commitment to designing and delivering the best aviation experience for our customers. We can’t wait to see this aircraft deliver to customers.”
The Ascend is designed to bring a new cockpit, improved performance and a luxurious cabin to the midsize business jet market. The aircraft's state-of-the-art avionics, autothrottles, high payload capacity and impressive range offer customers reduced pilot workload and the ability to do more and go farther.
When equipped with the latest Garmin G5000 avionics suite, the Ascend will feature an array of new advanced features and technology from Garmin, including Synthetic Vision Guidance System (SVGS) shown on the primary flight displays, that couples with Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) to support approach minima as low as 150 ft (46 m). SVGS provides a continuous, geo-spatially correct depiction of the external scene topography, including obstacles, augmented by the display of the runway.
Expanded SVT Capabilities for Improved Taxiway Routing
SVT enhancements include a 3D exocentric view of the SafeTaxi® airport environment to aid situational awareness while taxiing. SVT also displays 3D building footprints including hangars, terminals and towers, taxiways, aprons, signs and other markings to help reduce runway incursions by providing guidance while taxiing at airports contained in the SafeTaxi database. The enhancements also support pilot situational awareness by increasing topographical clarity, sharpening water and terrain boundaries, improving obstacle and powerlines display and enhancing runway and airport sign depictions. SVT introduces multiple viewpoints for the first time and integrates with the new Taxiway Routing feature that allows the flight crew to use the touchscreen controller to enter taxi routes, which then provides guidance on the 2D navigational maps or 3D SVT depictions – particularly at large, unfamiliar and complex airports during low visibility conditions.
Enhanced Traffic Awareness and Separation
The Ascend can utilize the standard automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) In capability for Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) Assisted Visual Separation (CAVS). CAVS increases pilots’ traffic awareness and assists pilots in maintaining separation from preceding aircraft equipped with ADS-B out during visual approaches to landing. Runway Occupancy Awareness (ROA) utilizes Surface Indications and Alert (SURF-IA) and ADS-B data to provide alerts when attempting a takeoff or landing on an occupied runway.
Advanced Connectivity and Data Exchange
For qualifying regions, the GDL 60 Datalink offers high-bandwidth data exchange and connectivity options, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and LTE networks. The GDL 60 features the ability to complete automatic wireless database downloads over network connections while the aircraft is powered off. Additionally, enhancements to the optional GDL 69A allow the Garmin G5000 suite to access more SiriusXM Weather products.
Comprehensive Display and Situational Awareness
The G5000 integrated avionics suite features three landscape-oriented flight displays with split-screen capability, allowing pilots to simultaneously view maps, charts, checklists, Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS), Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), flight plan information, weather and more, increasing situational awareness for the flight crew. It also includes Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) and fully automatic advanced weather radar and ADS-B Out compliance and allows for future growth and expansion through software updates.
Textron Aviation announced in May that the best-selling Cessna Citation Latitude and flagship Citation Longitude would also include these Garmin G5000 avionics suite enhancements.
About the Cessna Citation Ascend
With sleek and modern features, customers will enjoy many of the luxuries found in the bestselling Citation Latitude and Citation Longitude, including a flat floor to provide generous legroom and flexibility for passengers. The aircraft will offer Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545D engines designed to deliver fuel efficiency and increased thrust, as well as state-of-the-art Garmin G5000 avionics that feature the latest software and hardware, including autothrottle technology. The Ascend also features a Honeywell RE100 [XL] Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) approved for unattended operations.
With 19 standard USB charging ports and three universal outlets throughout the aircraft, all crew and passengers will enjoy access to at least one charging port in the Citation Ascend. The aircraft has a standard seating configuration of nine passengers.
For more information and aircraft specifics, visit cessna.com/ascend.
About Textron Aviation
We inspire the journey of flight. For more than 95 years, Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has empowered our collective talent across the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands to design and deliver the best aviation experience for our customers. With a range that includes everything from business jets, turboprops, and high-performance pistons, to special mission, military trainer and defense products, Textron Aviation has the most versatile and comprehensive aviation product portfolio in the world and a workforce that has produced more than half of all general aviation aircraft worldwide. Customers in more than 170 countries rely on our legendary performance, reliability and versatility, along with our trusted global customer service network, for affordable and flexible flight.
For more information, visit www.txtav.com | www.defense.txtav.com | www.scorpionjet.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the efficacy of research and development investments to develop new products or unanticipated expenses in connection with the launching of significant new products or programs; the timing of our new product launches or certifications of our new aircraft products; our ability to keep pace with our competitors in the introduction of new products and upgrades with features and technologies desired by our customers; changes in government regulations or policies on the export and import of our products; demand softness or volatility in the markets in which we do business; and performance issues with key suppliers or subcontractors.
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