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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 1941.PDF
Cover story CESSNA CITATION SOVEREIGN GENERAL ARRANGEMENT RIVALS COMPA MTOW Length Span Engines TO power Crew/pax Cabin length Cabin height Cabin width Baggage volume High-speed cruis Long-range cruis TO field length Landing distance Ceiling IFR range, four p List price Cessna Citation Sovereign 13,608kg 19.37m 19.25m 2 x PW306C @ 5,688lb 2/9-12 9.07m 1.73m 1.7m 2.83m3 e 459kt e 384kt 1,091m 808m 47,000ft ax 5,390km $14.2m Bombardier Learjet 60 10,659kg 17.89m 13.35m 2 X PW305A @ 4,600lb 2/6-7 5.39m 1.81m 1.74m 1.56m3 464kt 422kt 1,661m 1,042m 51,000ft 4,617km $12.6m Gulfstream G100 11,181kg 16.94m 16.64m 2xTFE731-40R @ 4,250lb 2/6-7 5.21m 1.7m 1.45m 1.44m3 459kt 430kt 1,644m 890m 45,000ft 5,000km $11.9m Raytheon Hawker 800XP 12,700kg 15.6m 15.66m 2xTFE731-5BR @ 4,660lb 2/8-15 6.49m 1.75m 1,83m 1.35m3 447kt 402kt 1,533m 808m 41,000ft 4,704km $12.9m yoke back-pressure to lower the nose. Once the aircraft was cleaned up, ATC provided vectors to the instrument landing system (ILS) final approach course to run way 19R. Using the MCDU, I installed and activated the approach. The FMS automat ically tuned the navigation radio to the ILS frequency - a nice feature. Approaching the field, with the autopilot engaged, 1 used the CCD to change ranges on the MFD's map display and closely monitor traffic with the TCAS. I found the CCD fairly intuitive to use, similar in execution to that in Dassault's EASy flight-deck. Because of gusty high winds, approach target speed for the 10,056kg aircraft with flaps full was 120kt, with a VREF of lOOkt. Before capturing the localiser, I disengaged the autopilot and followed the flight direc tor's guidance. The gear was extended and flaps set to full before glideslope capture. Once on glideslope, I found the flight director's commands allowed me to track both course and descent path despite the gusty wind conditions. Approaching 60ft above ground level, I retarded the thrust levers to idle and initi ated the flare manoeuvre at 20ft. At MTOW, the Sovereign has a wing loading of only 284kg/m2, and at our lower weight the aircraft floated down the runway. It gently touched down at 95kt and the flaps were set to 15° in preparation for the "go" portion of the touch and go. With the thrust levers in the take-off detent, Bodlak called "rotate" at 102kt. Once airborne, he rapidly pulled the right thrust lever to idle to simulate an engine failure. Like the Citation XLS, the Sover eign has a rudder bias system. If this detects a difference of more than 15% in N2 speed between the engines, it automati cally puts in rudder to reduce the yawing motion caused by the asymmetric thrust. The bias system is required for dispatch, and can put in up to 100kg of force to counter asymmetric thrust. With the left engine at 99.5% Nj in the 140kt climbout (flaps 15°), less than 15kg rudder force was required to maintain co ordinated flight. Once level on downwind, less than a quarter of the available rudder trim was needed to maintain co-ordinated flight. ATC vectors were followed to another hand-flown ILS approach to run way 19R. Final approach was flown with flaps at 15° and, once on the glideslope, 65% Nj on the left engine held 120kt. With the rudder trim set to neutral, less than 5kg of force was required to keep the "ball" centred on final. ... Once landing was assured, the flaps were extended to full. This time I delayed the flare manoeuvre and the aircraft touched down on centreline just past my aimpoint. With the main gear on the run way, I deployed the speedbrakes, causing the five panels on each wing to dump lift and keep the aircraft firmly planted on the runway. Then the flaps were set to 15°, speedbrakes retracted and power advanced for take-off. Maximum breaking The last pattern flown was a visual approach and landing with maximum- effort braking. Flaps were again set to full and 120kt held on final. The power was retarded to idle passing 60ft, and flare ini tiated so as to touch down within 150m of the runway threshold at lOOkt. Once on the runway, I extended the speedbrakes and stepped on the brakes. The aircraft had slowed to less than 50kt before the thrust reversers were fully unstowed, so was stopped with wheel brakes alone. With a 18kt headwind, the 9,850kg air craft was brought to a halt about 850m from the threshold. Taxi back to the ramp was accomplished with the control gust lock installed, the NWS now controlled by the tiller alone. Post-flight and shutdown procedures were accomplished easily. Developed as a replacement for the Citation VII, Cessna's Sovereign is the newest entry into the mid-size business jet segment. It offers the largest cabin in its class, along with a huge baggage compart ment. While the Sovereign offers US coast- to-coast range at high-speed cruise, it can operate out of fields too short for its com petitors. MSG-3 design guidelines mean the Sovereign should be less expensive to maintain than its predecessor and provide more up-time to its operators. The Sovereign is not the most passion ate business jet on the market, but dollar- for-dollar, it may be the best mid-size value available. • 58 5-11 OCTOBER 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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