The Cessna Citation Excel (Model 560XL) is a turbofan business jet constructed by the Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas, USA. The mid-size Citation brand of business jets includes six distinct families of aircraft. The Excel, the Citation XLS, and the Citation XLS+ are one example of these families.
The popularity of Cessna's luxury Citation X, provided the manufacturer with the vision for an aircraft market with the X's features but targeted at the traditional Citation market, where it mainly competes with twin turboprop aircraft. Instead of being a direct offshoot of another Citation airframe, the Excel was a hybrid of technologies and designs. To manufacture the Excel, Cessna took the X's wide, roomy cabin fuselage, shortened it by about 21 feet (6.4 m) and fused it with an unswept wing utilizing a supercritical airfoil (based on the Citation V Ultra's wing) and a Citation V's tail.
Cessna chose the new Pratt & Whitney Canada turbofan, the PW545A. As a result, the Excel has the roomiest cabin in its class of light corporate jets and can seat up to 10 passengers, while being flown by a crew of two.
In October, 1994, the project was unveiled at the annual NBAA convention, and the prototype aircraft took off on its maiden flight on February 29, 1996. By the time FAA certification was given in April 1998, Cessna had more than 200 orders for the aircraft. At the time the 100th Excel was delivered in August 2000, the Wichita production facility was finishing an aircraft every three days. By the time the plane was surpassed by the Citation XLS, 308 total planes had been built. The Excel boasts an exceptional safety record, with only 5 recorded accidents, that caused no fatalities.
The Citation XLS was the first "makeover" that was given to the Excel. Besides a glass cockpit based on the Honeywell Primus 1000 EFIS avionics suite, the XLS featured the upgraded PW545B engines with improved performance.
Cessna upgraded the aircraft again to the Citation XLS+, or simply "Plus" configuration, with the addition of FADEC engine controls, enhanced PW545C engines, and a completely reconfigured nose design similar to that found on the Citation Sovereign and Citation X. The Citation XLS+ is the first of the XL line to feature Collins Pro Line 21 Avionics and a four tube EFIS display as opposed to the three tube Honeywell displays in the XL and XLS.
General Info (Data from Cessna Citation XLS+ web site) |
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| Category | Mid-size executive jet | |
| Crew | 2 | |
| Passengers | 7-10 | |
| Max Cruise Speed | 816kmh | 441kts |
| Max Range | 3,441km | 1,858NM |
| URL | http://www.cessna.com/index.html | |
| Powerplants | Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545C turbofans, 4,119 lb (18.32 kN) each | |
Dimensions (External) |
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| Wingspan | 17.17m | 56ft. 4in. |
| Wing area | 34.35m² | 370ft.² |
| Length | 16.00m | 52ft. 6in. |
| Height | 5.23m | 17ft. 2in. |
Dimensions (Internal) Cabin |
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| Length | 5.64m | 18ft. 6in. |
| Width | 1.68m | 5ft. 6in. |
| Height | 1.73m | 5ft. 8in. |
| Baggage Capacity | ||
| Internal Volume | 2.55m³ | 90ft³ |
Weights |
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| Max Ramp Weight | 9,253kgs. | 20,400lbs. |
| Max Takeoff Weight | 9,163kgs. | 20,200lbs. |
| Max Zero Fuel Weight | 6,849kgs. | 15,100lbs. |
| Max Landing Weight | 8,482kgs. | 18,700lbs. |
| Max Payload | 1,043kgs. | 2,300lbs. |
| Useful Load | 3,447kgs. | 7,600lbs. |
Performance |
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| Max Cruise Speed | 817km/h | 441kts |
| Max Range | 3,441kms | 1,858nm |
| Max Operating Altitude | 13,716m | 45,000ft. |
| Takeoff Distance | 1,085m | 3,560ft. |
| Landing Distance | 969m | 3,180ft. |
http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2005/cessna0510.html
