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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 3088.PDF
NBAA FIRST NEWS New Orleans debut for Citation X BY IAN GOOLD IN NEW ORLEANS Cessna has unveiled Citation X, described by chairman Russ Meyer as the "world's fast est business jet", at the 43rd US National Business Aircraft Asso ciation convention in New Or leans. Based on a stretch of the top-of-the-range Citation III it will be powered by two 27kN (6,0001b) thrust GM/Allison GMA3007A engines and sup ported by a new 35-37' swept wing. The aircraft will fly at Mach 0.9 at up to 51,000ft. The launch comes just a year after Cessna announced the Ci tation IV, another development of the III, which was dropped earlier this year. Cessna expects the new aircraft, designated Model 750, to fly in March 1993 and to enter service two years later. Meyer says that the X is aimed at the gap between the $8 million-$10 million mid-sized business aircraft and the heavy corporate jets. The aircraft of fers a Citation III cabin section, but is some 1.5m longer inside. The challenge is to "...provide truly pre-emptive performance", says Meyer. Other aircraft are too small, too slow or do not reach sufficient altitudes, he claims. The price for the X is $11.85 million excluding completion, which could cost up to $1 million. Cessna expects to de liver 32 aircraft in the first year of production. Orders have been taken for ten. Citation X performance tar gets are Mach 0.86 cruise at 41,000ft, equivalent to Los An geles-New York in little more than 4h. Non-stop flights New York-London would take an es timated 6.5h. Meyer suggests that climb to 47,000ft at maximum operating weight would require 30min, while to 41,000ft at typical op erating weight could be achieved in just 13min. Highest priority is to design a new wing and attachment structure, says Meyer. Cessna had hoped to use the Citation Ill's 25° swept outer wing pan els, but has now abandoned this in favour of a more rakish sweep. Winglets will not be employed. The flaps and spoil ers may be of composite con struction, but Meyer expects the new wing to be basically metal. Cessna hopes to begin wind- tunnel testing in July 1991. • Russ Meyer (above):" Citation X (below) is the world's fastest business jet" Allison develops GMA 3007 Allison is to develop an 36 kN (80001b) thrust version of its 31.5 kN (70001b) class GMA 3007 turbofan. The new powerplant is targeted at the larger business jet market and 60 to 70 seat regional jets. The growth is being achieved through a higher turbine tem perature. However this will still be below the qualification tem perature of the T406 core. The 3007 has been selected for the Embraer EMB-145 twin turbofan regional transport and Cessna Citation X. • NEWS IN BRIEF ALLIED WARRANTY Allied Signal's Garrett engine and general aviation services divisions are offering opera tors of TFE731-powered air craft a new warranty pro gramme, financial guarantees and improved engine compo nents. P&W will power Ishida tilt-wing BY KIERAN DALY The planned Ishida TW-68 tilt-wing aircraft is to be powered by four Pratt & Whit ney Canada PT-6 turboprops mounted in two twin-engine riacelles and driving two propel lers. The configuration, which Ishida believes is unprecedented among non-helicopter aircraft, is intended to address safety concerns about tilt-wings in the event of engine failure. Ishida Aerospace Research president David Kocurek says the four engines will be cheaper and lighter than two engines because substantially smaller powerplants can be used. The Fort Worth-based comp any signed a memorandum of understanding with PWC last week but the exact specification of the PT-6 to be used will not be available until the beginning of 1991. Kocurek says: "The most im portant feature of these new powered lift aircraft is the as surance of absolute safety from the propulsion system. We have evolved a system where if one engine is off-line then you will have three engines operating and there will basically be no degradation in performance. This gets away from the critical decision point familiar in heli copter operations." Each nacelle's engines will be mounted either side-by-side or one above the other with one transmission gearbox per na celle. The powerplants will be cross-coupled as in the Bell Boeing V-22 tilt-rotor. Kocurek says the requirement is for ap proximately 2000hp to be de livered to each propeller. He attributes the idea for the engine configuration to a 1967 study by students at Cranfield, England. The aircraft's horizon tally mounted "tail rotor" is a Fenestron-type design driven by a 50hp hydraulic motor and used only for trim in the hover and during transition. The configuration is due to be frozen by the end of 1991 ready for a first flight in early 1994. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 10 - 16 October, 1990
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