Quick Look: Citation Sovereign
A big jet that handles small runways like, well, a Cessna
SPEC SHEET
Cessna CItation Sovereign
Powerplants | (2) Pratt & Whitney PW306C, 5,686 lbst ea
Length | 63 ft 6 in
Height | 20 ft 4 in
Wingspan | 63 ft 1 in
Seats | 2 plus 8-12
Max takeoff weight | 30,000 lb
Takeoff distance (SL, std) | 3,694 ft
Max cruise speed, FL410 | 430 KTAS/M0.76
Landing distance | 3,144 ft
Range (w/NBAA IFR reserve) | 3,000 nm
With rotation and approach speeds in the 100-knot range, the Sovereign is quite happy using sea-level runways of 4,500 feet or less. The massive, mildly swept wing also provides spectacular climb capabilities, allowing the Sovereign to quickly scamper up to the mid-40s in about 20 minutes. At altitude, the Sovereign is a very respectable performer, cruising at anywhere from 420 to 460 KTAS/0.74 to 0.78 Mach, depending on weight, altitude, and how much fuel you want to burn. Although slower than many of its competitors by 30 to 60 knots, the Sovereign makes up for that in quick climbs to altitude and its ability to reduce ground travel time by using smaller airports.
One Sovereign operator we spoke with says typical fuel burns are in the 570- to 700-pounds-per-hour range at FL 400 and above. He also reported that with a typical load of crew plus five adults and 700 pounds of luggage, the Sovereign is able to fly from Boston’s Logan International Airport to Orange County’s John Wayne Airport with no heroics. He praised the large luggage bin and mentioned that it is heated but not pressurized.
Avionics-wise, the Sovereign uses the Honeywell Primus Epic with four 8-by-10-inch color LCDs, EICAS, and trackball-controlled CCDs. The operator we spoke with got burned once when one of the four screens failed to work—a no-go item if you’re on the ground when it happens. The engines are FADEC controlled.
Our operator praised the Sovereign’s “U2-like” climb rate; typically in the range of 4,000 to 6,000 feet per minute. And despite the low reference speeds, it’s no problem fitting in at large airports by holding the standard 180 knots to the marker. Sovereigns are backed by arguably the best support network in the world, with service centers located around the globe.
Vref gives a price range of $6.2 million for a 2004 model, ratcheting up to $15 million for a 2015 Sovereign+. Starting in 2014, Cessna upgraded the design to the Sovereign+ featuring Garmin G5000 avionics, a thrust boost, and an even larger wing.
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