Clifford Development Flies FJ44-3A-Powered Citation S550

Wed, 23 Jul '08

Builds On Mod Program Nearing Certification
Clifford Development announced this week the first flights of a Citation S550 equipped with Williams International FJ44-3A engines. These flights are significant milestones in the development of a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to certify Cessna Citation S550 aircraft with new engines... improving performance, cost of operation and safety.

The certification aircraft lifted off from Michigan’s Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport for a 30-minute first flight. The flight profile was designed to evaluate aircraft handling and engine controllability. A second flight, which evaluated all aircraft systems interfaced with the engines and aircraft response to the new more powerful engines, was completed. Clifford Development and Great Lakes Aviation pilots and test engineers piloted and evaluated the aircraft.

"These flights are a continuation of the successes that we have had at each milestone with this airplane," said said Bruce Wilcox, chief operating officer of Clifford Development. "The first ‘power on’ went very well. The first engine runs were flawless. And, today we had two flights, during which each engine-interfaced system, including pressurization, was evaluated. It’s significant that the airplane returned without a single squawk. The entire engineering, production and flight test team has done a remarkable job during the 150 days since we removed the original engines from this Citation S550. Now, on to Mojave."

"We are delighted that all system interfaces work correctly on the very first flight. With these two successful flights behind us, we are in a position to move the Citation S550 program forward very quickly," said Jim Clifford, CEO of Clifford Development. He noted that the Company’s experience with its current Citation 550 re-engining program has helped to accelerate the Citation S550 certification.

Based on computations using the NASA-developed General Aviation Synthesis Program (GASP), Clifford projects the re-engined Citation S550 will have significant performance improvements: a 27 minute time-to-climb to FL430 versus the current one hour and 47 minute step-climb profile; a 40 percent increase in NBAA range with four passengers; a 34 percent improvement in single engine climb rate; and a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency.

In the coming weeks, the certification airplane will move to Mojave Airport to begin 100 hours of test flights to verify performance and to meet the FAA requirements. The Company anticipates the issuance of an STC in early fourth quarter of 2008.

The Citation S550 engine conversion is priced at $2,275,000 for 2008 installations. This price includes engines, engine core credit, digital engine instrumentation, winglets, Clifford Development aircraft improvement package, installation labor and training.

FMI: www.williams-int.com

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** Report created 7/21/2008 Record 11 **
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IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 53NW Make/Model: C525 Description: 525 CitationJet
Date: 07/18/2008 Time: 1724

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
City: LONDON State: KY Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF ROLL, BRAKES LOCKED AND THE TIRES BLEW OUT, LONDON
AIRPORT, LONDON, KY

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 2 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: 00000KT 10SM CLR 31/16 A3012

OTHER DATA
Activity: Business Phase: Take-off Operation: OTHER


FAA FSDO: LOUISVILLE, KY (CE17) Entry date: 07/21/2008

DESTIN -- A business jet went off the end of the Destin Airport's only runway Wednesday night, which forced the closure of the airport for about three hours.

No one was injured in the mishap, according to Greg Donovan, airports director for Destin, Crestview and the Okaloosa Regional Airport.

The Citation CJ-3 jet experienced a problem with either its landing gear or its braking system, Donovan said. The Federal Aviation Administration was called and the exact cause is under investigation.

"They don't know if the brake locked up or there was a problem with the tire," he said.

The plane, which was coming in from Nashville, went off the side of the runway about 6:45 p.m. into the soft sand and continued for about 100 feet before coming to a stop. The impact sheared off the front nose wheel.

"Because it was in the soft soil, it took some time to clear the aircraft," Donovan said. "There was not any substantial damage to the aircraft."

The Destin Fire Department responded to make sure there were no injuries or fuel spilled.

Flights were diverted to other airports during the time that the runway was closed.

"Closing the runway for three hours is never necessarily a good thing, especially not before a holiday," Donovan said.


FAA Priliminary Data on the CJ3.


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** Report created 7/3/2008 Record 10 ****************************************************************************

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 92MA Make/Model: C525 Description: 525 CitationJet
Date: 07/03/2008 Time: 0019

Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
City: DESTIN State: FL Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, SLID OFF THE RUNWAY, DESTIN, FL

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: 2355Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM CLR 28/22 A3001

OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Landing Operation: OTHER


FAA FSDO: BIRMINGHAM, AL (SO09) Entry date: 07/03/2008

Unconfirmed as N623KC Citation C560 V - FlightAware Flight Tracker .

South Bend Municipal Airport - No injuries reported when a Citations nose gear collapsed while touching down today (June 26 2008).

According to John Schalliol, Airport Director, the Citation flew to South Bend from a small airport in Wisconsin with six people aboard.

During the landing, the pilot, whose name was not released, put down the landing gear and received the green lights on the plane's instrument panel that indicate the gear was down and locked.

However, upon touching down, the nose gear began to collapse. The pilot kept the nose up for as long as possible, and then settled on the nose and slid to a safe stop.

Schalliol said the plane was only slightly damaged, and all six persons on board were unscathed. The Federal Aviation Administration is conducting a standard investigation of the incident.

This article is from Curt Lewis Flifgt Safety International

Drama as jet leaves airport runway

AN EXECUTIVE jet had to be freed from mud after leaving the runway at Cambridge Airport.

The Citation jet was taxiing at low speed in preparation for take off just before noon, when it left the runway.

Boggy conditions meant it became stuck in the adjacent grassy area, and on-site fire crews were called to use airbags to raise the plane and free the wheels from the turf.

Three crew members were on board the nine-seater aircraft, which was due to fly to Spain.

There were no injuries, and the aircraft was undamaged.

Terry Hollway, Marshall's group support executive, said it was not clear why the incident had occurred, but said it would be reported to the Civil Aviation Authority and a full investigation would be carried out.

Witness Mark Rix, 41, was driving past Marshalls when the incident took place.

He said: "It looked like a 10-seater jet that had overshot the runway, by about 100 ft - it had nearly gone through the fence.

"The plane was all in one piece but the undercarriage was stuck right into the grass. The ground was very wet.

"All the emergency services were there but I couldn't see if anyone was injured."

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_ho...e.asp?id=319715

This is from the Aero News Net (ANN.

Certified! Cessna's Citation XLS+ Earns FAA Nod

Wed, 04 Jun '08

Upgraded Excel Features Pro Line 21 Avionics, FADEC
Cessna reported Tuesday the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently granted type certification (TC) to Cessna's Citation XLS+. With nearly 600 hours of flight testing, the XLS+ met Cessna's certification timeline goal.

The XLS+ features the fully integrated Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite and electronically controlled (FADEC) engines from Pratt & Whitney Canada. Exterior and interior restyling is also integrated into the new model, most prominently the extended contour of the nose and expanded seat widths, both introduced to more closely resemble Cessna's Citation X and Citation Sovereign models.

The Citation XLS+ at maximum takeoff weight will depart from runways as short as 3,560 feet at standard, sea-level conditions, travel as fast as 440 knots, have a range of more than 1,858 nautical miles and land on runways as short as 2,700 feet at its typical landing weight.

The original Citation Excel was delivered in May 1998, followed by the Citation XLS in July 2004. The 500th Excel/XLS was delivered in June 2006, making the Excel/XLS the best-selling aircraft of all business jet models since its introduction. The fleet of Excel/XLS aircraft comprises of nearly 650 planes with an accumulated total of more than 1.4 million flight hours.

As ANN reported, Cessna rolled out the first production XLS+ in late April. The first XLS+ delivery is expected before the end of 2008.

This is from Yahoo News. The story is from the AP (Associated Press)and the picture was taken by Bill Wolf.

An aircraft is seen after a severe storm Friday, May 30, 2008, over Kearney, Neb. Flooding concerns linger in the wake of a storm system that raked Kearney and Aurora with tornadoes, and unleashed hail and high winds that pounded other south-central Nebraska towns before roaring east into Iowa.
(AP Photo/Bill Wolf)

I do not think this aircraft will be flying for quite soom time.

This is latest FJ44 Stallion which flew yesterday for the first time since the mods, paint, avionics and interior was completed. We have another in line to be completed in a couple weeks.

Thank you James for the update on the FJ44 Stallion.

For additional information on the FJ44 Stallion or any of the modifications / STC's offered bt Sierra Industries please clink on the link below in our Sponsers and Links section.

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d=62]

Jet Alliance of Austria has ordered an additional 24 aircraft, bringing their total to 50 new Cessna Jets on order.

The new order is for, 4 Mustangs, 7 CJ2's, 11 CJ3's, 10 XLS+, 7 C680's, 4 C750's, and 4 C850 Columbus'.

Total C850 Columbus orders released so far is 36 firm orders
at $26 million a piece - adding to a 14.5 billion dollar backlog
of Cessna's now on order.

NTSB Identification: ANC08LA059

14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, April 30, 2008 in Port Heiden, AK
Aircraft: Cessna 560XL, registration: N590AK
Injuries: 6 Uninjured.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On April 30, 2008, about 0945 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna Citation 560XL airplane, N590AK, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Port Heiden Airport, Port Heiden, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by AT&T Alascom, Anchorage, Alaska, as an instrument flight rules (IFR) corporate flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Of the six people aboard, there were no injuries to the two airline transport certificated pilots, or the four passengers. The flight originated at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage, Alaska, about 0850, and an instrument flight plan had been filed.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on April 30, the captain noted that the purpose of the flight was to transport a crew of telecommunications technicians to Port Heiden. He stated that his approach to runway 23 required a correction for a right crosswind, and that the initial touchdown on the 5,000-foot long by 100-foot wide gravel runway was uneventful. He said that he continued to apply a small amount of left rudder pedal input to correct for the crosswind as the nose wheel touched down. As soon as the nose wheel touched the runway, the airplane veered sharply to the left, and went off the left side of the runway. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.

The captain reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

At 0936, an automated weather observing system (AWOS) at Port Heiden was reporting, in part: Wind, 320 degrees at 12 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, 600 feet few; temperature, 30degrees F; dew point, 28 degrees F; altimeter, 29.94 inHg.

This article is from CharterX, Industry Headline News.

Cessna Aircraft Rolls Out First Production Citation XLS+
28-Apr-2008
By Karen Di Piazza

Today, Wichita, Kan.-based Cessna Aircraft Company rolled out its first production Citation XLS+ model. Priced at $11.595 million, the twin-engine jet will follow the tradition of the Excel and XLS' stand-up cabin. The upgrade to the Excel/XLS features Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics; it also has electronically controlled full authority digital engine controls (FADEC) from Pratt & Whitney Canada. Exterior and interior restyling has also been integrated into the new model. Similar to the Citation X and Sovereign models, the aircraft will have an extended contour nose and expanded seat widths.
"The XLS+ can seat up to 12 passengers, but normal seating would accommodate nine passengers," Doug Oliver said, Cessna's director of corporate communication. As for how many orders Cessna has obtained for the XLS+, Oliver said the company isn't releasing that information at present.

The Citation XLS+ will reach speeds of up to 440 knots with more than a 1,800-nautical-mile range. The aircraft will be able to land on runways as short as 3,180 feet at its maximum landing weight, and land on runways of 2,700 feet at its typical landing weight. Cessna said its family of Excel/XLS aircraft comprises nearly 650 planes with an accumulated total of more than 1.4 million flight hours.

The first XLS+ production unit is on its way to receive a paint job and an interior. The two flight test aircraft will to be used toward type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, forecast to happen by mid-2008 and first deliveries before the end of the year.

The original Excel was delivered in May 1998 and XLS was delivered in July 2004. Cessna said its 500th Excel/XLS was delivered in June 2006, and that its Excel/XLS is the company's best-selling jet since its introduction.

Date: March 08, 2008 Stuart, FL
Aircraft Type: Cessna 525B N400GG
Narrative: The first officer had updated the Jepson Database and in the process
had pulled the brake circuit breaker to keep the brake hydraulic motor from
continuously cycling. This circuit breaker was missed when the airplane was
restored to normal operating condition. Clearance was received and the pilot in
command began taxiing. The first officer started to program the flight
management system. There was a strong gusty wind from the left. They had to make
a 90-degee right turn to join the taxiway. The pilot in command made some
comment about the brakes. The first officer looked up and they were headed
toward and struck a parked unoccupied airplane on the opposite side of the
taxiway.
Death/Injury: No injuries
Remarks: According to both crew members with the direction of the wind, nose
steering alone was not enough to turn the airplane onto the taxiway. Brakes were
needed but there were no brakes, and emergency brakes were not used.

This report is from KFMB out of San Diego, CA.

Plane Skids Off Runway at Palomar Airport

Federal Aviation Administration officials reported that a corporate jet skidded off the runway while landing at McClellan-Palomar Airport Sunday, but no one was hurt.

The Cessna Citation 510 landed on Runway 24 just after 10:10 a.m. following a flight from Lincoln Regional Airport, northeast of Sacramento, said the FAA's Ian Gregor.

"It skidded off the runway to the side and the main landing gear collapsed," Gregor said.

The pilot and three passengers escaped unharmed, authorities said. The aircraft, registered in 2007 to California Natural Products of Lathrop, south of Stockton, suffered minor damage, Gregor said.

The company is a maker of food ingredients such as rice syrup.

The Citation 510 is classified as a light business jet, which can carry four passengers and seating for two in the cockpit. Light business jets only require one pilot, according to Gregor.

He said the event would be classified as an "incident" instead of an "accident" because of the lack of injuries and minor damage to the aircraft.

In January, 2006, a Cessna Citation V skidded off the end of the same runway, bounced down a bluff and off of a self-storage center, then burst into flames. All four people on board were killed in what was called the worst accident at the small airport.

The plane is of the same class of business jets that Santa Monica officials want to ban at that city's airport, which does not have an overrun barrier system and is surrounded by houses and apartments.

The FAA has challenged the city's action, and says the chance of an overrun incident is too remote to require the installation of crash barriers.

Status: Final
Date: 24 JAN 2006
Time: 06:40
Type: Cessna 560 Citation V
Operator: Goship Air
Registration: N86CE
C/n / msn: 560-0265
First flight: 1994
Total airframe hrs: 4720
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5D
Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Total: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Airplane damage: Written off
Location: Carlsbad-McClellan-Palomar Airport, CA (CLD) (United States of America)
Phase: Landing
Nature: Private
Departure airport: Hailey-Friedman Memorial Airport, ID (SUN/KSUN), United States of America
Destination airport: Carlsbad Airport, NM (CNM/KCNM), United States of America
Narrative:
Citation N86CE departed Sun Valley (SUN) at 05:50 MST on a flight to Carlsbad (CLD). The airplane climbed to its assigned cruising altitude of FL380, which was reached at about 06:06 MST. The descend for Carlsbad was started an hour later, at 06:06 PST. Air traffic control cleared the flightcrew for the ILS approach to runway 24, which was 4,897 feet long. The flightcrew then reported that they had the runway in sight, cancelled their IFR clearance, and executed a VFR approach in VFR conditions to the airport. The reported winds favored a landing toward the east, onto the opposite runway (runway 6). During the approach, after a query from the first officer, the captain indicated to the first officer that he was going to "...land to the east," consistent with the reported winds. However, the final approach and subsequent landing were made to runway 24, which produced a six-knot tailwind. During the approach sequence the captain maintained an airspeed that was approximately 30 knots higher than the correct airspeed for the aircraft's weight, resulting in the aircraft touching down about 1,500 feet further down the runway than normal, and much faster than normal. The captain then delayed the initiation of a go-around until the first officer asked if they were going around. Although the aircraft lifted off the runway surface prior to departing the paved overrun during the delayed go-around it impacted a localizer antenna platform, whose highest non-frangible structure was located approximately 304 feet past the end of the runway, and approximately two feet lower than the terrain at the departure end of the runway. The aircraft continued airborne as it flew over downsloping terrain for about 400 more feet before colliding with the terrain and a commercial storage building that was located at an elevation approximately 80 feet lower than the terrain at the end of the runway. The localizer antenna platform was located outside of the designated runway safety area, and met all applicable FAA siting requirements.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The captain's delayed decision to execute a balked landing (go-around) during the landing roll. Factors contributing to the accident include the captain's improper decision to land with a tailwind, his excessive airspeed on final approach, and his failure to attain a proper touchdown point during landing."
Sources:
» NTSB

Cessna is giving away two shipsets of Smart Stems. One for the 680 and one for the 750 at this year’s customer conference. Here is a copy of the article from this month’s Direct Approach.
SmartStemTM Give-Away at Conference
Two STC’d kits will be given away at the Conference during the 680 and 750 model sessions Tuesday April 29th.
Cessna Citation Parts Distribution is proud to announce that the innovative new technology from Crane electronics and Aerospace called SmartStemTM will soon be available for the Cessna Citation 750 and 680 Business jets. Maintaining proper tire pressure is very important both to aircraft safety and economics.
SmartStemTM is a wireless sensor built into the tire’s inflation stem that makes the daily tire pressure check quick, easy, accurate, and automatically documented. A reading takes less than three seconds. The user simply places the hand-held reader near SmartStemTM and reads the tire’s pressure, temperature, unique ID number, and other stored data. The reader displays the data, date/time stamps it, and stores it for later download and automated record keeping on a Windows Mobile 5.0 compatible device (not included).