Cessna Citation Excel Pilot's Operating Handbook

with the rudder pedals and to make a tighter turn, you add brake. Trailing-link landing gear has been fitted to the Excel so you’re assured of smoother taxi and landings over the Ultra’s straight-gear configuration. Flying the Excel At ICT (Wichita KS), we taxied for takeoff to Rwy 1R at a weight of 17,000 lbs (85% of the 20,000-lb MTOW). At our weight, V 1 was 102 kts, V R was 106 kts and V 2 was 118 kts. The Excel climbed very nicely and Brollier pointed out that the MTOW rate of climb is 3790 fpm at sea level. With a couple of one-min level- offs, we were climbing through FL390 20 min into the flight at a rate of 1500 fpm. Leveling off at FL410 22 min into our flight, I established a Mach .73 cruise and noted an indicated fuel burn of 1350 pph, which was just under the book fig- ure of 1355 pph. Brollier told me that the Excel will fly its full adver- tised range of 2080 nm with a 45- min reserve at Mach .70 and a fuel burn of 1050 pph. Additionally, you can push the Excel’s range to 2160 nm, including a 45-min reserve, at a Mach .64 long-range cruise with fuel burn down at 800 pph. 102 PROFESSIONAL PILOT / December 1998 (L-R) Lacy and Brollier listen as Cessna Citation Mgr of Product Marketing Michael Pierce describes the large-cabin design philosophy behind the Excel. Using the fuselage cross section of the Citation X mated to a modified version of the V Ultra’s wing, Cessna was able to come up with a large-cabin entry-level jet. Photos by Jack Sykes With four passengers, baggage and two crewmembers, the Citation Excel can fly more than 1900 nm nonstop. RANGE/PAYLOAD CAPABILITY Number of Passengers IFR Range (nm) 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0 300 600 900 1200 1500 1800 2100 High Speed Cruise, IFR Reserves, Zero Wind, Standard Day Before flying over Liberal KS, we received clearance to do some steep turns. In a 60° bank, I experi- enced absolutely no buffet, stall or stick shake. To get into aerodynam- ic buffet I had to lower the nose and pull the stick back in a 60° bank during an accelerated stall. When stall did occur, it was rather sudden with the drop of the right wing drop but as soon as I released back pressure we were immediate- ly out of the stall. About 80 nm out of Wichita, I performed an emergency descent, bringing power to idle and deploy- ing the two-position speed brakes. The airplane came down quickly with an indicated descent rate in excess of 10,000 fpm as I held MMO of Mach .75. With our IFR clearance canceled below 18,000 ft, I leveled out at 15,500 ft to do a few more stalls. At this altitude, a clean stall occurred at 95 kts and 84 kts with flaps and gear down. Here again, after going through shaker to the aerodynamic stall, it was a rather quick break with a right wing drop off but the minute I released back pressure, we recovered. Brollier suggested I enter a gear down and full flap stall and fly out of it by adding power, which worked out well. Entering the pattern to Rwy 1R at ICT, I shot a VFR approach to a full stop with a taxi back for take- off. Our next circuit was a touch- and-go and Brollier pulled an engine at V 1 and the airplane climbed out at 1200 fpm. In the single-engine condition, I flew the pattern and performed an approach to touch down. On the next takeoff Brollier again cut an engine and I found the Excel easy to trim and control in the simulat- ed engine-out condition. On our final approach we came around to Rwy 1R at an approach speed of 112 kts and 106 kts over the fence. The reversers, which are designed to be brought back to idle 104 PROFESSIONAL PILOT / December 1998 Lacy discovers that a comfortable side-fac- ing divan provides easy access to a well laid-out refreshment center (top L). Brollier points out the accessibility to the radio racks (above). Lacy inspects the large 83-cu-ft baggage compartment (L). Elevation = Sea Level °C / °F 20,000 19,500 19,000 18,500 17,500 16,500 15,500 14,500 0 / 32 3430 3390 3370 3360 3340 3330 3340 3360 10 / 50 3540 3490 3480 3460 3440 3430 3440 3460 15 / 59 3590 3540 3530 3520 3490 3480 3490 3510 20 / 68 3650 3600 3580 3570 3550 3540 3540 3560 25 / 77 3750 3610 3590 3580 3550 3540 3540 3560 30 / 86 4060 3870 3680 3510 3440 3410 3400 3410 35 / 95 4420 4210 4000 3810 3440 3300 3270 3260 40 / 104 4960 4660 4390 4170 3750 3370 3140 3120 45 / 113 __ __ 5080 4750 4160 3710 3300 2980 50 / 122 __ __ __ __ 4820 4160 3660 3220 42/108 44/111 46/115 47/117 51/124 54/129 54/129 54/129 5270 5260 5260 5070 4970 4670 4000 3490 Cessna’s Citation Excel easily handles takeoffs from 5000-ft runways in nearly all weight and temperature conditions. This performance capabili- ty is one of many reasons that Cessna has more than 200 orders for the large-cabin light jet. TAKEOFF FIELD LENGTH - 15° FLAPS (Distance to 35 ft above the runway) Zero wind, Anti-ice systems off, Cabin bleed air on Takeoff Weight (lbs) Ambient Temp. Climb Weight Temp Limits °C/°F Field Length at Temp Limits (ft) at 60 kts, worked very well. Taxiing back to Cessna’s delivery center, I again noticed the good ground- handling characteristics, which is typical of a Citation. I’ve always found Citations to be clear-cut airplanes to fly with lots of stability and I was equally im- pressed with the Excel’s flight characteristics. Whether you’re used to flying Citations or not, the Excel will be a very easy airplane to transition to. The Excel has not yet been approved for single-pilot operation and it currently requires a separate type rating. But if you’ve got a Citation rating and current P-1000 EFIS experience, you can manage with just a five-day differences training course rather than the full two-week type rating course. The payload with full fuel is an adequate 910 lbs and the Excel’s Mach .75 high-speed cruise is attractive for stages up to 1600 nm. To achieve the full advertised VFR range of 2080 nm, however, you’ve got to cut cruise speed to a high-speed cruise of Mach .70. Aircraft systems The Excel’s wing is 3.5 ft longer that the Ultra’s with 13 inches additional inboard span on each side and wingtip extensions. The empennage has a two-position sta- bilizer for takeoff and landing— 106 PROFESSIONAL PILOT / December 1998 Cessna Citation Excel Price Basic equipped ($MIL US) $7.6 Powerplants (2) Pratt & Whitney PW545A Total power 3804 lb static flat rated (SL, ISA) each Dimensions Wingspan (ft) 55.7 Length 51.8 Height 17.2 Cabin length 18.7 Width 5.6 Height 5.7 Volume (cu ft) 400 Normal seating crew/pax 2/8 Weights and loading Wing loading (lb/sq ft) 54.1 MTOW (lbs) 20,000 Zero fuel weight 15,000 Basic operating weight 12,550 Max payload 2450 Max fuel (lbs) 6740 Performance T/O SL/ISA @MTOW (BFL in ft) 3590 Max rate climb (fpm) all engines 3790 one engine out 850 Certificated ceiling (ft) 45,000 Pressurization Delta P 9.3 Normal cruise (KTAS) 430 @ altitude 35,000 Fuel flow (total pph) 1355 Range (nm) NBAA IFR 2080 MMO .75 VSO (KIAS) 93 V MO 305 Figures supplied by Cessna Aircraft. The flight test aircraft (s/n 005) featured a Honeywell Primus 1000 digital flight control sys- tem (top) and a comfortable eight-place cabin (middle). The Excel’s wing (bottom) is 4 ft longer than the Citation V Ultra’s. Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545A powerplants (L) deliver 3804 lbs of takeoff thrust per side. minus a 2° angle of incidence for takeoff and landing and plus 1° in cruise. When you’re flying below 215 kts with the flaps extended, the trim will move automatically from one position to the other. Flight controls are typical of a Citation—unboosted bell cranks and push rods. The fuel system is straightforward and has fuel heaters so you don’t need prist. Hydraulics operate at 1500 psi on demand and power the thrust reversers, landing gear, speed brakes, flaps and the two-position horizontal stabilizer. The brakes have an independent hydraulic system powered by an electric motor. Emergency gear extension is accomplished by gravity and a nitrogen blow-down system. The Excel’s Pratt & Whitney PW545As each have a takeoff thrust rating of 3804 lbs. A hydromechanical fuel controller acts like a FADEC with an elec- tronic unit to adjust best takeoff power setting, climb and max cruise with three detents in the throttle quadrant. A DC electrical airplane, two engine-driven 28-volt DC starter- generators provide power and there are alternators for the electrically- heated windshields and side win- dows. Two JET batteries supply emergency backup power for essential systems. A single air-cycle machine provides dual-zone tem- perature control and, if you don’t opt for the AlliedSignal APU option, there’s a vapor-cycle sys- tem for cooling on the ground. Bleed air anti-ice is supplied to the leading edges, engine inlets and fan spinners. The horizontal stabilizer is fitted with deice boots, which cycle automatically when activated. Flightdeck windows are anti-iced and defogged electrically and there’s an electric blower located in the nose to clear the windshield of rain and snow. Phased maintenance inspections are every 300 hours with full- phase inspections every two years. The Excel features several improvements designed to ease maintainability. One such refine- ment is that you can inspect con- trol cables without disassembling the interior. TBOs on the PW545As are 5000 hours with a mid-life at 2500 hours. The Excel comes with a five-year warranty on the air- frame and associated components, five years or 2500 hours on the engines and five years on the Honeywell avionics suite. Impressions Cessna came up with a winner in the Excel. Corporate operators and fractional ownership programs are looking for larger, comfortable cab- ins and the Excel provides an im- pressive cabin for a light jet. It does surprise me, however, that so many manufacturers are build- ing airplanes with seemingly transcontinental cabins yet they won’t go nonstop across the coun- try. It appears to me that when a company builds a bigger airplane, it should really go farther. Pierce pointed out, and he has a good point, that most Excel buyers are not located on either the West or East Coast and that more people are looking for affordable aircraft with big cabins than range. If you live between Phoenix and Atlanta, the Excel will take you pretty well anywhere in the country nonstop with a roomy cabin to boot. If any manufacturer understands buyer trends in business jets, it’s Cessna and the company has developed a product lineup unmatched in the light to midsize jet categories. The Excel is truly a breakthrough product in the light- jet, big-cabin arena anyway you look at it. Anyone considering an entry-level midsize jet should defi- nitely consider purchasing the Citation Excel. 108 PROFESSIONAL PILOT / December 1998 At the Excel’s maximum landing weight and standard sea level conditions, the landing dis- tance of the light jet is a short 3180 ft. (L-R) Lacy asks Brollier about the features of the Honeywell Primus 1000 system. Clay Lacy has more than 46,000 hours of flying experience in everything from DC-3s to B747-400s and nearly every corporate aircraft. His Van Nuys-based Clay Lacy Aviation is home for Lacy’s popular charter fleet, which sports everything from Learjet 24s up through a GII-SP and Boeing 727.