Summary
- The Citation X was the fastest business jet in the world when released, with a max speed of Mach 0.92.
- The X+ model boasts an enhanced top speed of Mach 0.935 and a streamlined design for improved fuel efficiency.
- The Citation X ended production in 2018 after a successful 22-year run, with 339 units built and delivered.
The Cessna 750 Citation X marked a shift in focus for the Citation series. With powerful Rolls-Royce engines and an enhanced aerodynamic design, the Citation X became the fastest business jet in the world, a title it still holds to this day, shared with the Gulfstream G700.
A speed demon
The Citation X entered the market in the mid-1990s as business jet travel became more popular and accessible. Established mid-size jets available at the time included the Bombardier Challenger 600 Series, Gulfstream IV, Hawker 800, and Dassault Falcon 900. Typically seating between nine and 12 passengers depending on configuration, the Citation X offered a range of 3,460 NM (6,410 km), making it more than capable of intercontinental travel for the jet-setting businessperson or celebrity.
Photo: Renatas Repcinskas | Shutterstock
Before the release of the X, Cessna’s Citation family was not known for its speed and was, in fact, considerably slower than its rivals. However, amid a highly competitive business jet market, the company opted to stand out from the competition by making the X the fastest jet around.
5 Cool Things On The Cessna Citation X Private Jet
Over 300 Citation Xs have been produced by Cessna.
First announced in 1990 at a National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) event, the Citation X could reach a max speed of Mach 0.92 – up from Mach 0.851 compared to previous-generation Citation models – and a cruising speed of around Mach 0.90. The AE 3007 was the first Rolls-Royce engine to be included on a Cessna jet, providing up to 6,764 lbs of thrust each.
As the fastest business jet on the market at the time, this proved a key selling point for customers looking for the shortest journeys possible, and it was also an impressive status signal to own the world’s fastest business jet.
Citation X+
Cessna would later improve on the X when it announced the X+, featuring a larger airframe and new Rolls-Royce AE 3007C2 engines providing extra thrust, giving the X+ a max speed of Mach 0.935. The model was also longer than its predecessor at 73ft 7in (22.43m), while its wingspan was almost 6ft larger at 69ft 2in (21.08m). While the X was fitted with Honeywell’s Primus avionics system, the X+ switched to the Garmin G5000.
|
Variant |
Citation X |
Citation X+ |
|---|---|---|
|
Crew |
2 |
|
|
Passengers |
Up to 12 |
|
|
Length |
72.53 ft (22.04 m) |
73 ft 7 in (22.43 m) |
|
Span |
63.6 ft (19.39 m) |
69 ft 2 in (21.08 m) |
|
Height |
19.2 ft (5.85 m) |
19 ft 3 in (5.87 m) |
|
Wing area |
527ft² (48.96 m2) |
|
|
Empty weight |
22,131 lb (10,038 kg) |
|
|
Max. takeoff weight |
35,700-36,100 lb (16,193-16,375 kg) |
36,600 lb (16,600 kg) |
|
Fuel capacity |
13,000 lb (5,897 kg) |
|
|
Turbofans |
2 × AE3007C/C1 |
2 × AE3007C2 |
|
Thrust |
2 × 6442-6764 lbf (28.66-30.09 kN) |
2 × 7,034 lbf (31.29 kN) |
|
Max speed |
Mach .92 |
Mach .935 (536 kn; 993 km/h) |
|
Cruise speed |
528 kn (978 km/h) |
|
|
Minimum control speed |
114 kn (211 km/h) |
|
|
Range |
3,460 nmi (6,410 km) |
|
|
Ceiling |
51,000 ft (15,545 m) |
|
|
Time to altitude |
24 min to Flight level 470 |
|
Despite the jet’s enhanced performance over the X, the X+ was also streamlined to offer improved fuel efficiency than its predecessor. Along with more efficient engines, this included the addition of winglets to reduce drag. All these enhancements came with a similar list price to the X at around $25 million.
Photo: InsectWorld | Shutterstock
Operational history
The Citation X completed its maiden flight over three decades ago before entering service in 1996. The company would ultimately build 339 Citation X and X+ aircraft over the program’s 22-year run from 1996 to 2018 – while this wasn’t as high as competitors like the Bombardier Challenger or Gulfstream IV, the jet is still considered a success.
In terms of its speed advantage, let’s take the popular London-New York segment as an example. A standard business jet cruising at Mach 0.85 would complete the transatlantic hop in roughly six hours, but the X could manage it almost 30 minutes quicker, shaving off valuable time.
Famous operators of Citation X jets include former US President Donald Trump and golfer Arnold Palmer, who took delivery of the first aircraft off the production line. In terms of company operators, NetJets owns the world’s largest Citation fleet after ordering 60 of the jets, to which it would later add another 21 X+ aircraft.
While the Citation’s unbeatable speed was still a draw, demand for the aircraft dwindled. Compared to a high of 37 Citation deliveries made in 2000, Cessna was making single-digit deliveries in its final years of production. The final Citation X (an X+ model) was delivered to Global Transport in December 2018, marking the end of the Citation’s 22-year production run.
- Maiden flight: December 21, 1993
- Type certification: June 3, 1996
- First delivery: July 1996
- X+ first flight: May 2013
- X+ first delivery: June 2014
- Final delivery: December 2018
World’s fastest business jet, for now…
The Citation X+’s max speed of Mach 0.935 remains the highest speed of any civil aircraft (shared with the upgraded Gulfstream G700), but this record will almost certainly be broken soon. This is because Bombardier’s Global 8000 is set to take the crown next year – the upcoming jet will boast a max speed of Mach 0.94, and a test plane for the 8000 even managed to exceed the speed of sound a few years ago. However, the Citation X will still be faster at regular cruising speed (Mach 0.90) than the 8000 (Mach 0.85).
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Commercial travel is also about to get a major speed boost with supersonic travel set to return. Companies like Boom Overture are developing modern supersonic aircraft that will bring speed-of-sound commercial travel back following the departure of the Concorde from service over two decades.
Have you ever flown on a Cessna Citation X or X+? Let us know your stories in the comments.
