Textron Aviation Aircraft Updated For Future Air Travel

“You’ll hear us say the word ‘versatile’ a lot,” says Jimmy Beeson, Director, Technical Marketing, Textron Aviation, halfway through our conversation. We are sitting in an air-conditioned meeting room in the Textron Aviation chalet at the Singapore Airshow 2024 while we wait for our turn to inspect the aircraft parked outside. Through the glass windows, we can see a slow-moving queue forming despite the intense heat and we are in no hurry to join the crowd.

“You can’t get any more versatile than the King Air platform,” Beeson says, returning to the subject of our conversation, the Beechcraft King Air 360 turboprop. “By that I’m referring to how you configure, how you load, and how you operate the airplane.”

The King Air 360, he points out, scores top marks in customisability and configurability, the result of continued efforts that Textron has invested in the platform over the past 60 years. “It’s certified for on- and off-pavement operations,” Beeson adds, “you’ll see a lot operators around the world who utilise it that way. It also has an excellent range of almost 2,000 nautical miles.”

Beeson describes the King Air 360 as “a high-performance twin-engine turboprop”, a very stable and robust platform that is used in commercial, retail or special missions in many places across the world. It has a great payload capability of 1500lbs with full tank. Its maximum payload is over 2500lbs, which rivals that of a mini jet. “That’s pretty exceptional for a twin-engine turboprop.”

The 360 is the latest iteration of the King Air model family and it has relatively new features such as auto-throttles and digital pressurisation. The unit that they are showcasing at the Airshow is configured for VIP transport with eight passengers in a double club configuration. There’s an option for adding another seat at the back, along with multiple interior configurations. there’s an option for adding another seat at the back, along with multiple interior configurations.

Textron Aviation also flew in three of their most popular business jet models in the region. The first of these is the Citation M2 Gen2, ‘entry level’ light jet in standard configuration, but, as with the others on show, can be reconfigured to increase cabin comfort and usability. “The M2 is a great plane with low operating cost,” Beeson claims, making it ideal for corporate flight departments as part of a larger fleet, a charter or an owner-operator aircraft. “Again, this is configurable and customisable for a multitude of missions,” not least of which for its low operating costs.

The aircraft has a great hot and high performance at 5,000ft elevation, he says. “We’re talking warm, not extremely hot. Moreover, the Citation M2 is exceptional for its ability to maintain range and takeoff performance. A lot of jets in this segment tend to degrade as the temperature and elevation rise, but the Citation M2 maintains overall range during takeoff.” This makes the aircraft ideal for the warm tropical climate of Southeast Asia.

Another aircraft on display at the Airshow is the Citation CJ4 Gen2, which Beeson says is a proven and trusted product in the market. “This one brings a new interior and a new cabin technology,” he elaborates. “The CJ4 Gen2 has always been at the top of the segment in terms of performance – speed, range, payload capability – at a very low operating cost—about 13% lower compared to other aircrafts in the same segment.”

Classified as a light jet, the Citation CJ4 is the biggest in the category from Textron Aviation. Certified for single-pilot operations, the CJ4 is frequently operated by two pilots and used more heavily in the charter market. “What sticks out to me on the CJ4 is its capability of maintaining range when adding payload. Whether I’ve got four passengers or eight passengers on the aircraft, you can still count on it going 1700nm every day.”

Lastly, there is the Citation Latitude, which has been “the most popular mid-size business jet in the market today for six consecutive years”. Very popular in the charter and fleet markets, as well as in corporate flight departments, Citation Latitude features a very comfortable six-foot (1.8 metres), flat-floor standup cabin – a little shorter than the Citation Longitude from the cabin perspective, but quite similar in size from the cabin diameter standpoint.

“We have made great strides with the design of our cabin and that is greatly reflected in the design of the Citation Latitude cabin,” Beeson declares. It has great cabin acoustics and with a greatly reduced flight noise. “At 45,000ft, which is the maximum service altitude, the aircraft feels like you might be standing at your home 6,000ft above sea level. It’s not going above that,” he says assuredly. “You reach your destination refreshed and ready to go, reducing the jet lag, so to speak.”

From the range perspective, Citation Latitude has a both an optimal intercontinental range as well as an exceptional short field capability that allow takeoffs on short runways of 3600ft. This makes the aircraft ideal for shorter trips. One can fly out in the morning, conduct some business, and return home for dinner. “You can also stay away from those busy international airports that are usually located far away from city centres and get closer to your intended destination to conduct business or begin your vacation,” Beeson says.

The Citation Latitude has a wireless cabin system and, Beeson adds, “an option for the Bongiovi speakerless sound system that turns the entire cabin into a sublime aural experience. No matter where you are sitting in the aircraft, you’ve got personal surround sound. A virtual concert hall.”

The Citation Latitude is equipped with the latest Garmin G5000 avionics, an advanced integrated flight deck designed for crew-flown business jets. With an intuitive touchscreen interface, Garmin G5000® offers another major advantage. Many aircraft models in the mid-size jet segment, including the discontinued Citation Sovereign+, are also fitted with the Garmin G5000®, making them familiar to pilots. This makes for easy transition from operating one aircraft to another – a boon to recruiting and converting qualified flight crew.

The time has come for me and Beeson to inspect the aircraft. On the way, he tells me about the Citation CJ3 Gen2, which made an appearance at a Las Vegas airshow. “It has new cabin technology and materials, including a selection of upholstery,” he shares. “There’s even accent lighting.” Previously, there were only overhead wash lighting and track lighting as regulations required, he adds. “Now you have more lighting that opens up the cabin and makes it more welcoming. Even the lavatory has a skylight,” Beeson enthuses.

He describes the external servicing of the lavatory that makes it possible to offload materials from outside the aircraft without stepping inside the aircraft. He also talks about the latest aircraft connectivity that allows information, including the maintenance database and flight plans, to be uploaded remotely without any need for digital storage cards.

We finally reach the aircraft and begin our tour in earnest, paying attention to how we approach the jets, climb onboard and manoeuvre inside the cabin with ease. We inspect the seats and how they pivot to face each other or converted to a flat bed, individual seat lighting and window shades that can be controlled wirelessly on a mobile phone app, the inflight entertainment system, and the connectivity amenities on the aircraft.

“This is how I would want to travel in the future,” I tell Beeson excitedly.

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