The Citation Ascend was just announced, with a 4 person range of 1900 miles and a flat floor, this looks like it will be an awesome replacement for the XLS+

https://cessna.txtav.com/en/citation/ascend

Seems like the flat floor is an option, and removes 8 inches of headroom! That is a massive loss, as the headroom is really where the Excel shines. With the pricetag that's being reported, I'm not sure I understand where the value is in this.

Looks like a NetJets spec'd plane. P&W engines, Garmin avionics, 6 passenger seating, this makes for a nice competitor to the Phenom 300 for a couple million more. Flat floor (even with cabin height loss) is nice over the Phenom. Your aisle leg doesn't have to step down if you want extra space. It will also have more elbow space.

All in, it may cost less to run than a Phenom, with Textron support and good MRO support in the field.

I give credit to Textron retreading a design and staying competitive with the newer designs.

Is it single pilot?

A 3D-simulated jet, for 3D-simulated travel?

Why don’t they just call it the XLS++? Just another derivative design after all.

No.

Here's a photo of an XLS cockpit, and a 3D image of the new cockpit.

Note the gear handle position!

I'll bet a $500 hamburger they go for SP certification.

I predict it gets autoland and SP cert.

That said, for what NJ costs I predict most people will want two bus drivers. Don’t they run all the phenoms with two pilots?

It’s tough for me to imagine how an XLS with a g5000 gets higher workload in an emergency situation than a mid 80s c550 with the original FMS. Speeds are functionally identical.

That gear handle switch is right out of the old Beech playbook.
Seems like it could use a more substantial looking mechanism with maybe a barbed wire fence and sparklers on it just in case.

Tj

1. Yes, NJs runs dual pilot in the Phenoms.
2. They will have a real winner if they end up getting SP cert. It would be competitive with the PC-24 and Phenom. I think Mike Ciholas has chimed in the past; the reason the XLS isn't SP is due to, how far the pilot has to reach for certain items in an emergency (e.g. circuit breakers). And I think he said at one point, they tried for SP cert. I think the original 560's are SP (5, Ultra, Encore).
3. The writing may be on the wall for the CJ4. When the Gen 2 came out a couple years ago, many were disappointed it was still rocking the Pro Line 21. It's the only Citation not running Garmin. Makes you wonder, if they lip sticked the CJ4 to buy themselves time for this. It would also create a better product segmentation with the CJ3+.

Wonder if people will be calling it the ass-end.

Link shows improved diagnostics. We struggled with this when I was at Cessna, for both commercial Citations and military proposals, with somewhat limited success.

A couple of logs on the fire… one: who cares if SP… insurance all but prevents it.

Let it go.

Two… who says the CJ4 won’t have Garmin in the future.

The XLS+ is probably the most popular Citation ever built. My only complaint is that it needed to be a little bit longer.

Viola.

560 series is not SP. You need an SPE (Single Pilot Exemption) to fly it SP in the US. But that is an FAA thing and not recognized internationally. I believe that only 501 (Citation I) and 551 (Citation II) are SP on their type certificate (maybe the Bravo as well?).

Chip, there are lots of things over the years that have been "who cares", but the marketing department has convinced us that it is relevant and important. All indications are that it will remain dual pilot, but the Phenom 300 and PC-24 are SP. Whether anyone flies SP or insurance allows for it, it's still a marketing point of Embraer and Pilatus. It's also been a point of passionate conversation on BeechTalk. I think over the years MC and JC have made some good points about it.

If the Ascend were to have SP capabilities, there really is no market segmentation for the CJ4. If the Ascend stays dual pilot as currently marketed, the CJ4 may still have a place. But based off prior conversations of insurance in the M3 discussion https://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=217419, even the CJ4 will have future and ongoing SP insurability issues.

Overall, Textron created a great airframe they have been able to keep relevant for almost 30 years.