October 11, 2011 - Pratt & Whitney announced that its PW306D engine has been selected by Cessna Aircraft Company to power its new Citation Latitude mid-size business jet. The announcement was made at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) annual meeting and convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

The new Citation Latitude will have space for a crew of two, plus up to eight passengers. Powered by the PW306D engine, which can deliver 5700 pounds of thrust, the new aircraft has a full fuel payload of 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms), a maximum cruise speed of 442 knots true airspeed and a range of 2,000 nautical miles. 

"We are delighted to be selected by Cessna to power their new business jet, and build on our long-standing relationship, which has spanned more than 40 years," said Maria Della Posta, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Pratt & Whitney Canada.

"It is telling that on the same day we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the PW300 engine we are announcing an entirely new application aboard a state-of-the-art business jet. We have consistently made the right investments in technology and innovation to keep the PW300 family of engines in demand for new applications as they evolve." First flight of the Citation Latitude prototype is planned to be mid-year 2014, with FAA certification (Part 25) and entry into service expected in 2015. 

"The Citation Latitude is a game-changer for the mid-sized segment, offering the payload, speed and range the market requires with an unmatched cabin experience at this price point," said Brad Thress, Senior Vice President, Cessna Business Jets. The PW300 family of engines powers more mid-sized jets than any other turbofan in the world. P&WC has manufactured 3,500 engines in nine models with a combined 9.3 million hours in flight. The engine is equipped with Full-Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), which provides for ease of operation, increased accuracy, greater thrust control, and health monitoring and diagnostics. 

Cessna introduced the new Citation Latitude mid-size business jet at the start of the 64th NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention. This is Cessna?s second new product announcement in the past 14 days; the company launched the Citation M2 light business jet on Sept. 26.  ?The Citation Latitude is a game-changer for the mid-size segment, offering the payload, speed and range the market requires with an unmatched cabin experience at this price point.? 

With space for a crew of two plus up to eight passengers, the Citation Latitude features Garmin G5000 avionics and a clean-sheet, 84-inch fuselage for a 6-foot high, flat floor passenger cabin. ?The Citation Latitude is a game-changer for the mid-size segment, offering the payload, speed and range the market requires with an unmatched cabin experience at this price point,? said Brad Thress, senior vice president, Cessna Business Jets. 

Positioned between the Citation XLS+ and Citation Sovereign in Cessna?s product line, the Citation Latitude offers a full fuel payload of 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms), a maximum cruise speed of 442 knots true airspeed (819 kilometers per hour) and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,704 kilometers). The aircraft is priced at $14.9 million in 2011 USD. 

Preliminary specifications project the aircraft will operate at airports with runways as short as 3,900 feet (1,189 meters), will have a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet (13,716 meters) and will climb direct to 43,000 feet (13,106 meters) in 23 minutes. First flight of the Citation Latitude prototype is expected to be mid-year 2014, with FAA certification (Part 25) and entry into service expected in 2015. ?Our team used extensive market research to configure the Citation Latitude and the results are seen from nose to tail and from wingtip to wingtip on the Latitude?s swept wing,? Thress said. ?Nowhere is the Latitude?s uniqueness more visible than inside the cabin.? 

From just behind the cockpit through the rear lavatory, a flat floor provides stand-up access throughout the 16-plus foot cabin. The main passenger cabin ? Cessna?s widest in history ? is 77 inches wide (1.95 meters) with a height of 72 inches (1.83 meters). The standard seating arrangement accommodates passengers in a single-club with a forward, dual side-facing couch. Six pedestal seats track forward and aft 7 inches (.18 m) and laterally 4 inches (.10 m) on the seat base with 180 degree swiveling capability and infinite recline positions. Cabin-length indirect LED lighting is provided overhead in the passenger service units with variable adjustment for direct reading lights and more. 

?The requirements for business travel have evolved to more than comfort and convenience; the use of innovative technology is key to providing a more efficient and productive aircraft cabin, which is critical to meeting expectations of a fully functioning work environment,? said Cindy Halsey, Cessna vice president, Interior Design, Engineering and Development. ?Through our new ClairityTM cabin technology system, we have an intuitive user interface to offer customers a ?smart? airplane for the ultimate connectivity experience.? 

Developed by Cessna in partnership with Dallas-based Heads Up Technologies, Clairity is an intelligent cabin technology solution that ties into the aircraft avionics systems and can integrate cabin electrical systems and data and communication sharing through a fiber optic backbone controlled through either an intuitive touch-screen user interface at each seat or the customer?s personal electronic device. The Citation Latitude?s cockpit is anchored by the new, fully integrated Garmin G5000 system that centers on three 14-inch LCD primary and multifunction displays and four touch-screen control panels. It includes an integrated Flight Director/Autopilot and Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS).