Cessna Citation X

Cessna · United States · first flew 1993 · light aircraft

The Cessna Citation X is a long-range business jet that, at around Mach 0.9, ranked as one of the fastest civilian aircraft in production.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Rear-fuselage turbofans
T — Tail	T-tail

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Highly swept wing
Rear-fuselage turbofans
Tall swept T-tail

Identify it by the unusually steep wing sweep, two turbofans mounted on the rear fuselage and a tall, swept T-tail. The slender fuselage and pointed nose give it a noticeably fast, raked profile.

Specifications

The Cessna Citation X has a length of 22.04 m (72 ft).
It has a wingspan of 19.39 m (64 ft).
Its maximum speed is 979 km/h (608 mph).
Typical crew: 2 pilots + up to 12 passengers.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Announced in 1990 and first flown in December 1993, the Citation X gained certification in 1996. It introduced Rolls-Royce AE3007 engines and a highly swept wing to give the Citation family a high-speed flagship, with 339 built before production ended in 2018.

Variants

The original Citation X was followed by the Citation X+, which added uprated engines, Garmin G5000 avionics, a slightly stretched fuselage and larger winglets, raising top speed to Mach 0.935. Both share the same basic high-speed airframe.

Where you'll see it

In the UK the Citation X is operated in business aviation and charter, using airports such as Farnborough and Biggin Hill for fast point-to-point flights. Its speed appeals to operators valuing reduced transit times on longer European and transatlantic legs.

Related aircraft

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