Cessna Citation Columbus

{{Infobox aircraft begin

|name = Citation Columbus

|image = File:Cessna-citation-columbus.jpg

|caption =

}}{{Infobox aircraft type

|type = Business jet

|national origin = United States

|manufacturer = Cessna

|designer=

|first flight =

|introduced =

|status = Development canceled 10 July 2009

|primary user =

|more users =

|produced =

|number built =

|variants with their own articles =

|developed from =

}}

The Cessna Citation Columbus was a business jet project by Cessna, part of the Cessna Citation family.

The Model 850 was launched in February 2008 and cancelled in July 2009. It would have been the largest model of the family at the time. Powered by 8,830 lbf (39.3 kN) PW810 turbofans and a {{cvt|4000|nmi|km}} range, the $27 million aircraft had a 709 sq ft (66 m²), 30° swept wing.

Development

Cessna began research on the largest Citation in 2002 with market studies, surveys, concept testing, focus groups and customer advisory boards.{{cite news |url= http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2008-02-26/announcing-columbus-cessna-commits-large-cabin-citation |title= Announcing Columbus, Cessna commits to large-cabin Citation |author= Matt Thurber |publisher= Aviation International News |date= February 26, 2008}} A mockup of the large cabin concept was unveiled on October 17, 2006, at the National Business Aviation Association convention{{cite press release |url= http://investor.textron.com/news/news-releases/press-release-details/2006/Cessna-Studying-Product-Range-Expansion-with-Large-Cabin-Concept-Citation/default.aspx |title= Cessna Studying Product Range Expansion With Large Cabin Concept Citation |publisher= Textron Inc. |date= October 16, 2006}}

Cessna formally announced the aircraft on February 6, 2008 ; FAA certification was planned by the end of 2013, with deliveries beginning in 2014. The Columbus had a target range of {{convert|4000|nmi|km|0|abbr=on}} with 8 passengers. The cockpit would have featured a synthetic vision system, autothrottles, optional head-up display and Collins' MultiScan weather radar with optional windshear prediction.{{cite press release |url= http://investor.textron.com/news/news-releases/press-release-details/2008/Textrons-Cessna-Details-New-Citation-Columbus-Aircraft-Announces-Key-Suppliers-/default.aspx |title= Textron Inc - Textron's Cessna Details New Citation Columbus Aircraft; Announces Key Suppliers |publisher= Textron Inc. |date= February 6, 2008}}

Cessna was going to invest $780 million into the development including a new plant, major suppliers were Pratt & Whitney Canada for the engines; Rockwell Collins for the avionics; Vought Aircraft Industries for the wing; Spirit AeroSystems for the fuselage and Spirit AeroSystems Europe Ltd. for the empennage; Parker Hannifin for the powered flight control system; Goodrich Corporation for the landing gear.{{cite press release |url= http://investor.textron.com/news/news-releases/press-release-details/2008/Cessna-Citation-Columbus-Progresses-Through-Detail-Design-Phase/default.aspx |title= Cessna Citation Columbus Progresses Through Detail Design Phase |publisher= Textron Inc. |date= July 14, 2008}}

On April 29, 2009 Cessna announced that it was suspending the Citation Columbus program, but indicated at that time that the program might be restarted once economic conditions improved. The company also indicated that it would lay off 1,600 workers, including up to 700 workers from the Columbus program.{{cite web |url= http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/CessnaWillSuspendColumbusProgramAndCloseBendFactory_200284-1.html |title= Cessna Will Suspend Columbus Program, Close Bend Factory |publisher= AVweb |last= Grady |first= Mary |date= April 29, 2009 |access-date= April 30, 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090724145804/http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/CessnaWillSuspendColumbusProgramAndCloseBendFactory_200284-1.html |archive-date= July 24, 2009 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}

On July 8, 2009, Cessna reported the cancellation of the program in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).{{cite web |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/217346/000021734609000108/eightk.htm |title= FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT |date= July 8, 2009 |author= TEXTRON INC. |publisher= Securities and Exchange Commission}} The company said "Upon additional analysis of the business jet market related to this product offering, we decided to formally cancel further development of the Citation Columbus". Cessna's parent company, Textron will write-off US$43 million as a results of the cancellation. The SEC-filed documents indicate that Cessna spent approximately US$50 million on tooling, facilities and other costs for the project. Most of these costs are unrecoverable and cannot be used for other projects.{{cite web|url = http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/CessnaCancelsExtraLargeColumbusJetProgram_200720-1.html |title = Goodbye, Columbus -- Cessna Cancels Extra-Large Jet Program |publisher= AVweb |last= Grady |first= Mary |date= July 14, 2009}}

Pratt & Whitney Canada immediately stopped the PW810 engine program,{{cite news |url= http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2009-10-01/2009-new-business-jets-spiraling-down-goodbye-columbus-epic-meltdown |title= 2009 New Business Jets: Spiraling down: Goodbye Columbus & Epic meltdown |publisher= Aviation International News |date= October 1, 2009}} but continued the PW800 series.{{cite news |url= http://www.flyingmag.com/news/textron-pulls-plug-cessnas-columbus-project |title= Textron Pulls the Plug on Cessna's Columbus Project |author= Mark Phelps |publisher= Flying Magazine |date= July 16, 2009}} On July 11, 2009, Cessna announced that it would return US$10M to the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County. The money was received as an economic incentive for developing the aircraft in Wichita and was part of $70M in cash assistance and tax breaks received from those two governments.{{cite web|url = http://cjonline.com/news/business/2009-07-11/cessna_to_return_10_million |title = Cessna to return $10 million |agency= Associated Press |publisher= The Topeka Capital-Journal |date=July 11, 2009}}

Specifications

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Flight International 2008{{cite news |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/how-they-compare-cessna39s-columbus-takes-on-the-221351/ |title= How they compare - Cessna's Columbus takes on the competition |date= 6 February 2008 |publisher= Flight International |last=Warwick |first=Graham |access-date=April 6, 2019}}

|prime units?=kts

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|crew=

|capacity=10 passengers

|length m=

|length ft=77

|length in=

|span m=

|span ft=80

|span in=

|height m=

|height ft=27

|height in=7

|height note=

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=709.3

|wing area note=

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb=

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb=

|fuel capacity=

|eng1 number=2

|eng1 name=Pratt & Whitney Canada PW810

|eng1 type=turbofans

|eng1 kn=

|eng1 lbf=8830

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=

|max speed kts=

|max speed mach=0.85

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=

|cruise speed kts=488

|cruise speed note= Mach 0.85

|range km=

|range miles=

|range nmi=4000

|range note=Mach 0.8, 8 passengers

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=45000

|ceiling note=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=

|time to altitude=27 min to {{convert|41000|ft|m|abbr=on}}{{cite web|url = http://columbus.cessna.com/media/2008ColumbusSpec.pdf|title = 2008 Specs and Description|access-date = 2008-05-27|last = Cessna Aircraft|year = 2008}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

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}}