Aug. 26--Cessna Aircraft Co.'s first production Citation M2 made its first flight Friday when it flew out of the company's Independence plant, where it's assembled.
Certification is expected this fall.
"The aircraft performed exceptionally well," Cessna production flight test pilot Terry Martindale said in a statement.
A large portion of the production test flight procedures were made during the flight, which lasted nearly two hours, he said.
It's the first aircraft equipped with the Garmin G3000 avionics, which uses touch screen interactivity comparable to a smartphone to give pilots performance information in a logical, familiar user interface, the company said.
"The system goes beyond what people might be expecting in terms of familiarity, versatility, situational awareness and ease of use," Martindale said. "You can sense that pilots designed the cockpit. Everything is where you need it to be."
Cessna announced the M2 in September 2011 at the National Business Aviation Association's annual convention.
Reach Molly McMillin at 316-269-6708 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @mmcmillin.
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