Longitude earns type certification

The 483-knot, 3,500-nautical-mile super-midsize Longitude is now Cessna’s flagship, and features a maximum range that’s 300 nm greater than the previous front-runner in the Citation fleet, the Sovereign. A clean-sheet design, the Longitude is powered by two full authority digital engine control Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines. The NextGen-ready cockpit features Garmin’s three-screen G5000 avionics suite with synthetic vision, autothrottles, and in-flight diagnostics reporting, and can be fitted with optional Link 2000+ Controller-Pilot Datalink Communications (CPDLC) and FANS 1/A capability.

The six-foot-high, 6-foot-5-inch-wide, 25-foot-2-inch-long cabin can accommodate as many as 12 passenger seats, with a double-club seating arrangement serving as standard equipment. An optional aft couch is available, as is an optional forward side-facing seat. The Longitude cabin has a flat floor and allows in-flight access to the aft baggage compartment. The seats are berthable. Full-fuel payload is posted as 1,600 pounds.

Textron says that the Longitude offers the most range, payload, and speed of any super-midsize jet. The $27 million Longitude’s competition includes Bombardier’s Challenger 350, Embraer’s Praetor 500 and 600, and Gulfstream’s G280.