A prototype of Cessna’s newest midsize jet, the Citation Latitude, flew for the first time on February 18, lifting off from Wichita Mid-Continent Airport at 10:00 a.m. local time with senior flight-test pilots Aaron Tobias and Marcus Mannella in the cockpit. During the nearly 2.5-hour flight, the crew tested the flaps, landing gear, pressurization systems, anti-ice capabilities, stability and control. The twinjet–which fuses a new, larger fuselage with the wings, tail and systems of the Citation Sovereign+–reached 28,000 feet and 200 knots on its maiden flight. Cessna expects to receive FAA certification of the Latitude in the second quarter of next year.
