Design and Development
In the late 1990s, Cessna saw the need for a high-performance jet midway between the Excel/XLS size and the Citation X. The result was the Model 680 Citation Sovereign, powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306C turbofan engines with FADEC controls. It uses the Honeywell Primus Epic glass cockpit avionics suite, coupled with dual Honeywell FMZ2000 FMS units. Its claim to fame is that it can take off and land in short distances, thanks to a moderately swept high aspect ratio wing, and (when light) 92 knot Vref speed. It was first unveiled to the public in 1998 at the NBAA exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Sovereign seats eight passengers in a typical cabin configuration, with a maximum high-density capacity of 12, in addition to the crew of two.
First flight of the Sovereign took place in February, 2002, with FAA certification awarded in June, 2004. Customer deliveries began later that year.
Read more about this topic: Cessna Citation Sovereign
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