I was recently reading about the Citation X from Cessna and its future. It will be released at the end of next year and is scheduled to be in service full time in 2013. Cessna is not giving us all of the details as yet but as I understand it the new Citation X will be faster than its current version and will use less fuel on a standard trip. This is good news for the folks at Cessna since announcing that they would not bring to market the larger Citation Columbus. They are putting the Citation X at the top of the heap and are relying on it to carry them as its flagship jet.
The Citation X is looking to turn out to be the new technological wonder of Cessna as well as I have heard tell it is “iPhone like” in the Cabin Management System. It is also going to be enabled with the Aircell phone and Internet services domestically.
Mark Huber explained it best over at AIN:
The interactive touch-screen controller at each seat, about the size of an iPhone, has a built-in Internet browser (Internet service required) and controls digital audio and video (a Blu-ray player sits in the forward closet), lights, window shades, cabin temperature, interactive moving map and cabin diagnostics. Texts can be sent from seat to seat and the VIP controls can be designated to any seat in the cabin.
It appears you can update Twitter and your Facebook status all from the seat in the Cessna. I’m looking forward to seeing this come out next year and I think this will be seen as a must have jet for the future. Great job Cessna and Jack Pelton! You are giving us all something to think about from the Cessna family again.