Friday, June 14, 2024 Textron ‘s Citation Ascend nears certification, logging 400+ flight hours with its prototype and P1 test articles. Textron Aviation today announced the completion of the second Cessna Citation Ascend’s test flight, marking a significant step toward certifying this latest model in the Citation series. This event comes after the Ascend prototype’s initial flight in 2023, making the P1 the first aircraft in the conforming production flight test series.
The Ascend was first introduced at the 2023 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE), with plans for its service entry in 2025. The Cessna Citation Ascend, a brainchild of Textron Aviation Inc., a subsidiary of Textron Inc.
(NYSE:TXT), embodies advanced design and manufacturing techniques. The maiden flight of the P1, piloted by Michael Bradfield and Maurice Girard, spanned 84 minutes. During this flight, the aircraft achieved a maximum altitude of 13,500 feet and a top speed of 308 knots.
The P1 will primarily serve in the flight test program to assess systems including propulsion, human factors, environmental controls, and avionics. “Today’s successful flight of the second Citation Ascend test article marks another achievement for the program, and that’s a testament to the many great employees involved with this project,” said Chris Hearne, senior vice president, Engineering. “The aircraft has continued to perform well through the phases of testing, and I continue to be con.
