The Cessna Citation Hemisphere business jet will be powered by Safran Silvercrest engines, operated by Honeywell’s Primus Epic avionics suite and actuated by Thales fly-by-wire controls, Textron Aviation announced on 31 October.
The parent of Cessna announced the key suppliers for the Hemisphere as chief executive Scott Ernest unveiled a cabin mock-up at the static display containing several novel touches for the 4,500nm-range jet. Surprises include large skylights fitted forward and aft.
“For the first time in more than 20 years, the large-cabin segment will see a clean-sheet design aircraft with the Citation Hemisphere,” says Ernest. The debut of the cabin mock-up “should leave no doubt to our intention to expand our segment leadership position”.
As the largest and longest-range business jet in the history of Textron’s legacy brands, which also include Hawker and Beechcraft, the Hemisphere drives the company into new territory for both cabin design and aircraft technology.
The supplier announcements reveal that Textron Aviation has broken from a string of Garmin-based flight decks on smaller Citation models with the Hemisphere. The selection of the Silvercrest engine also unites Textron Aviation with the former engine supplier for the Longitude when it was introduced as a 4,000nm range jet. After Textron Aviation reduced the Longitude’s range to 3,500nm, the Silvercrest engine was exchanged for the lower-thrust Honeywell HTF7500.
Source: Flight Daily News
