Wichita, Kansas - June 17, 2009 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced its authorized sales representative, Japan Aerospace Corporation, received an order for a Citation Sovereign from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Japanese equivalent to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
"The Citation Sovereign was selected by JAXA after a rigorous and exhaustive evaluation process. Their aircraft will be modified to be used for aircraft performance and aerodynamic research," said Roger Whyte, Cessna's senior vice president, Sales and Marketing.
"This is a great confirmation of the versatility and performance of the Sovereign."
The Citation Sovereign was certified in Japan in 2007. There are currently more than 125 Cessnas in Japan, which includes more than 20 Citations.
Since the first delivery in late 2004, more than 250 Citation Sovereigns have been delivered. Certified for operations to 47,000 feet (14,326 meters), the Sovereign can take off from airfields as short as 3,640 feet (1,109 meters) and has a maximum range of 2,847 nautical miles (5,272 kilometers) and a maximum cruise speed of 458 knots true air speed/527 miles per hour (848 kilometers per hour).
About Cessna Aircraft Company
Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2008, Cessna delivered 1,301 aircraft, including 467 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $5.662 billion. Cessna has a backlog of $13 billion as of March 31, 2009. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 5,700 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.