Textron Aviation’s Cessna Citation Latitude is making its LABACE show debut, introducing the newest Citation to the Brazilian market ahead of planned ANAC certification in early 2016. The new Latitude received FAA certification on June 6, and deliveries are expected to begin in the third quarter. One of the first customers will be fractional-share provider NetJets, which has ordered up to 150 of the type.

The $16.25-million Latitude brings to the business jet market not only a flat-floor cabin in a relatively large midsize jet but also performance that outpaced Cessna’s original projections by a significant amount. The original range was projected at 2,000 nm when the Latitude was launched in 2011, but the final number is 2,850 nm at long-range cruise speed. High-speed cruise range is still a respectable 2,700 nm. Takeoff and landing distance is also better, down to 3,580 feet from the projected 3,660 feet.

The Latitude’s cabin is one of its most notable features, offering a flat-floor and the widest cabin of any Citation. Fuselage diameter is 12 inches larger than the 72 inches of the XLS+, Sovereign+ and X+, and thus the Latitude’s interior cabin width expands to 77 inches compared to 66 inches in the other jets. The windows are 25 percent larger than those of the XLS+, Sovereign+ and X+ and are placed to optimize views for passengers. Dual-mode, manually operated shades are installed, so passengers can choose between fully dark or opaque settings.

Seats are designed and built by Textron Aviation and are based on many hours of attention by human-factors engineers working with people sitting in place then trimming foam until the right shape was found. The seats fold back fully and lie flat, and they are equipped with armrests that tuck into the upright when not being used. The bottoms of the seats are left open to add to the cabin’s spacious feel.

For passengers, the Heads Up Technologies fiber-optic wireless Clairity cabin-management system controls the environment, entertainment features and lighting. Each seat has its own lighting switches, USB port and a small recess that is ideal for a smartphone, wallet or book. Square cupholder holes are also a convenient place to put a smartphone. Clairity can be controlled using a mobile device app or also from the VIP seat, or using a master control in the forward refreshment center. Audio content on mobile devices can be played on the Clairity system’s excellent speaker system.

The typical Latitude cabin layout is nine seats, with a two-place couch forward, then a club seating area, two forward-facing seats and an extra takeoff/landing-approved belted seat in the lavatory opposite the toilet. That seat converts to extra cargo space by folding down, but there is also a closet for hanging storage. Or buyers can opt to eliminate the lavatory seat and make that area into a larger closet. The main cabin seats are toed out by 4 degrees for more comfortable legroom, and both sides of the seats have armrests. The Latitude’s floor is as low as possible to provide more comfort for passengers, whose shoulders sit at the widest part of the cabin. The fuselage design also maximizes the distance between head and shoulders and the cabin wall so passengers don’t feel they are jammed against the side.

Exterior Features

On the outside of the Latitude, many improvements are evident. The cabin door is now electrically operated, and the doorframe is fitted with a single passive compression seal, which improves dispatch reliability by eliminating the inflatable seal. The door can be opened and closed manually, and is back-driven against the motor, when opening, so it doesn’t drop too quickly.

There is no more “door spade” fairing, and oxygen bottles were moved from the fuselage fairing to the nose compartment and flight controls rerouted to allow for a thinner finger fairing on the belly. Baggage and nose compartment latches are a new monolithic machined style that can be closed easily with just one finger.

The Latitude wing is similar to the Sovereign+’s, with which the Latitude shares a type certificate. Both wings have the same 16.3-degree leading-edge sweep, 543-sq-ft area and smoothly upswept winglets. Wing treatments facilitate docile stall characteristics. Fowler-type flaps, in three sections, are electrically actuated. Five sections of hydraulically powered spoilers provide lift, drag and roll control, supplementing the ailerons at the outer section of the wings.

The empennage also shares Sovereign+ heritage, with a zero-dihedral, trimmable horizontal stabilizer and anti-float tabs on the elevator, interconnected to the stabilizer. A rudder bias system enables feet-on-the-floor engine-out operation. The rudder is equipped with a single yaw damper.

The flight controls are mechanical, and this (in addition to the adoption of major components from the Sovereign+) helped to speed the Latitude toward certification.

The large baggage compartment is fitted with the same simple latches as the nose compartment doors and can hold up to 1,000 pounds. A 50-pound-capacity coat rod is installed, too. The door has an integral step, although the 4.5-foot sill height is low enough for most people to lift luggage into the compartment with ease.

Flying the Latitude

The cockpit of the Latitude is roomy and uncluttered, with far fewer switches, knobs and controls. Small touches add to the cockpit’s comfort, such as side pocket areas that are ideal for tablet computers and other portable items, leather-wrapped yokes and console, push-to-talk switches on the sidewalls and, in general, a modern look and feel.

The larger Latitude fuselage diameter adds about four inches of cockpit width for each pilot, making more space for the pilot-seat armrests as well as the side pockets, which also include USB chargers. Pilot-seat travel is three inches longer and the windshields are larger.

The four GTC 570 touchscreen controllers in the Latitude make it easy to operate the Garmin G5000-based Intrinzic integrated flight deck.

Standard on the Latitude is Garmin’s SafeTaxi airport charting system. The aircraft is equipped with ADS-B OUT as well as Sirius XM weather and radio. Datacom features for European Link 2000+ and controller-pilot datalink communications will be an option.

Flight planning is intuitively simple, just a matter of typing in waypoints and destination, plus anticipated arrival procedures. Once the destination is in the system, the automatic pressurization system sets the arrival field elevation, then automatically schedules cabin altitude and rate of change. At the maximum altitude of 45,000 feet, the 9.66-psi pressure differential produces a cabin altitude of 6,000 feet.

For the demonstration flight, we took off from Burbank, California’s Runway 15 with a slight left crosswind, and once I pushed the power levers forward, the Garmin autothrottles took over and smoothly brought the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306D1 turbofans to maximum power. The engines are the same as those in the Sovereign+.

We were relatively light, carrying just two pilots, one other crewmember and 5,490 pounds of fuel. With its basic operating weight of 19,076 pounds, the Latitude was nearly 6,000 pounds short of its 30,800-pound maximum takeoff weight. Fuel capacity is 11,394 pounds, and typical payload with maximum fuel is 1,040 pounds.

The autothrottles helped keep us shy of 250 ktas below 10,000 feet, although that setting can be adjusted depending on the airspace requirements of a particular country. During the climb to FL430, the autothrottles automatically set power for the Mach 0.64 climb speed and then, when required to level off, transitioned to the target cruise speed of Mach 0.80. Even with a few level-offs, it took only 10 minutes to reach FL270 and at our medium weight we leveled off at FL430 some 20 minutes after takeoff. At that altitude and ISA -1C, the Latitude settled at Mach 0.76 and 436 ktas, burning about 740 pounds-per-hour (pph) per side. At Mach 0.74 and 423 ktas, the fuel flow dropped to just below 700 pph per engine.

At 39,000 feet, the performance charts show 437 ktas burning a total of 1,749 pph at high-speed cruise. At long-range cruise, the speed would drop to 344 ktas and fuel consumption to 1,124 pph. At our weight at high-speed cruise, we would have been able to fly for about five hours, and the total range with NBAA IFR reserves (200-nm alternate) would be nearly 2,400 nm. At long-range cruise, that distance should extend to about 2,800 nm.

On the way down, we tried the envelope-protection features of the Intrinzic/G5000 avionics. For high-speed protection, the autothrottles pull the power back to maintain speed below the Mach 0.80 Mmo, but they release after a safe flying speed is achieved. On the other end of the speed spectrum, the autothrottles advanced power as we slowed the Latitude in level flight. This is helpful for occasions when pilots might forget to advance the power after leveling off. The envelope protection kicks in even if the autothrottles are not engaged.

We flew back to Burbank for the ILS Runway 8 approach, which I flew by hand to get a better feel for the Latitude’s low-speed handling. Back closer to the ground, the G5000’s synthetic vision display was a welcome sight, clearly highlighting the tall mountains east of Burbank.

The G5000 system’s split-screen capability was also helpful, allowing me to set up the MFD just how I like, with engine instruments and the map on the MFD and the approach plate side-by-side with synthetic vision on the PFD. With full flaps (35 degrees) Vref was 97 ktas, and the Latitude sailed smoothly down to the runway, with the autothrottles automatically pulling power as we crossed the threshold for a firm but satisfying touchdown on the Latitude’s forgiving dual-wheel trailing-beam landing gear. I popped the speed brakes and stepped smartly on the pedals and the Latitude’s anti-skid carbon brakes brought us to a quick stop without any reverse thrust.