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The first Citation Jet, Citation I, took to the skies on Sept. 15, 1969. From then on, continuous improvements and stretches have been made to this model as various types, such as Citation II, III, Sovereign, Mustang, and others, have come out. More than 8,000 aircraft have been produced in the Cessna Citation family, and they have logged more than 4.1 billion hours.The first Cessna Citation Jet ever produced had a cruise speed of around 660 km/h, while the fastest jet in this family has a top speed that's only a tad shy of Mach 1. But which of these Cessna Citation jets has the highest speeds? Let's find out.5. Cessna Citation Excel (XLS+)The Citation XLS+, sometimes simply called the "Plus" configuration, was an upgraded version of the Cessna Citation XLS. Deliveries of the Plus began in 2008 after the installation of full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) systems.
Capacity and Features
The XLS+ has a nose similar to the Cessna Sovereign or Citation X. It can climb 3500 feet per minute. The aircraft has a four-screen LCD EFIS display and is equipped with Collins Pro Line 21 Avionics. The XLS+ is capacious for 9 passengers.
Normal Cruise speed: 441 knots (817 km/hr)Maximum Take-off weight: 9162 kg/ 20200 lbMaximum landing weight: 8482kg/ 18700 LbService Ceiling: 13716m/ 45000 ftEngines; Power: 2; 18.32 kN/4,119 lbsEngine model: PW545C4. Cessna CitationJet/CJ4 (Maximum Speed: Mach 0.77)The Cessna Citation CJ4 is the largest, fastest, and highest aircraft in the CJ series. The stretched CJ4 was launched at the October 2006 NBAA conference. Its cabin is 21 inches longer than that of the CJ3. It first hit the skies on May 5, 2008, while deliveries began two years later.
Capacity and features
The CJ4 Gen 2 has a passenger capacity of 10 people and a maximum range of 2165 NM (4010 km). To deal with the drag accompanying transonic flights, the CJ4 has a laminar flow supercritical wing.
With full fuel, it can carry a 987 lb (448 kg) payload. The 400th CJ4 was delivered last year. In 2023, the CJ4's price was listed at $9,610,000.
Normal Cruise speed: 451 knots (835 km/h)Maximum Take-off weight: 7,760 kg/ 17,110 lbMaximum landing weight: 7,103 kg/ 15,660 lbService Ceiling: 13,716 m/ 45,000 ftEngines; Power: 2; 16.11 kN/ 3,621 lbEngine model: FJ44-4A3. Cessna Citation 700 Longitude (Maximum Speed: Mach 0.84)The Cessna Citation Longitude can fly at a speed of 0.84 M, making it the fastest aircraft of the Cessna Citation jet family. This 8-12 passenger seater jet caters to the needs of any individual, charter company, or fractional owner.
Cessna Citation Longitude was launched five years after its announcement during the 2012 European Business Aviation Convention andamp; Exhibition (EBACA) forum. Following 1,650 test flights, which accumulated more than 4,000 hours, the Longitude received a provisional FAA-type certification.
NetJets operates the largest fleet of Cessna Citation Longitudes. In addition to private operators, the Turkish General Directorate of State Airports Authority and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau also operate the Longitude.
Capacity and features
The Cessna Citation 700 longitude has a wingspan of 21.01 m (68 ft 11 in) and a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km). Its wing and fuselage are made of aluminum. In the first quarter of 2023, the price of this aircraft was $27M.
Normal Cruise speed: 483 knots (895 km/h)Maximum Take-off weight: 17,917 kg/ 39,500 lbMaximum landing weight: 15,195 kg/ 33,500 lbService Ceiling: 13,716 m/ 45,000 ftEngines; Power: 2; 34.10 kN/ 7,665 lbEngine model: Honeywell HTF7700L2. Cessna Citation X (Maximum speed: Mach 0.92)The Cessna Citation X's maximum speed is Mach 0.92, only 3 knots shy of the maximum speed of the fastest Cessna Citation Jet, the Cessna Citation X+.
The Cessna Citation X was introduced in 1996, and its first unit was delivered to Arnold Palmer. Production of the Citation X ended in 2018. In its 22 years of operation, more than 300 units of the Citation X have been delivered. The aircraft can climb 3650 feet per second and has a maximum range of 3125 nautical miles.
Normal Cruise speed: 525 knots/ 978 km/hr
Maximum Take-off weight: 16,601 kg/ 36100 lb
Maximum landing weight: 14,424kg/ 31800 lb
Service Ceiling: 15,545 meters/ 51000 ft
Engines; Power: 2; 6442-6764 lb (28.66-30.09 kN)
Engine model: AE 3007C1
1. Cessna Citation X+ (Maximum speed: Mach 0.935)The Cessna Citation X+, an improvement on the Cessna Citation X, is the fastest in the Cessna Citation Family and one of the fastest jet aircraft in the world. In July 2014, Citation X+ set speed records for a private jet that were acknowledged by the Federation Aeronautique International (FAI) and the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) of the United States. A senior test pilot of Cessna, Michael Voigt, had even commented on the record-breaking flight: "It was exciting to be part of the process of establishing a speed record. It's a feather in our cap. It will be nice to look back and see our names in the record books."
Normal Cruise speed: 528 knots/ 978 km/hr
Maximum Take-off weight: 16,601 kg/ 36600 lb
Maximum landing weight: 14,424kg/ 31800 lb
Service Ceiling: 15,545 meters/ 51000 ft
Engines; Power: 2; 7,034 lbs (31.29 kN)
Engine model: AE 3007C2
Production of the Cessna Citation X+ ended in 2018. The speed record of the Cessna Citation X+ was broken by the Bombardier Global 8000, unveiled as the fastest business jet in the world.