Latitude Leads Textron Trio Making Latin American Debuts

Textron Aviation has three Latin American debutantes among what looks to be the largest grouping of aircraft on the LABACE show static display this week. The Cessna Citation Latitude and CJ3+ are making their first appearances in this part of the world, as well as a Beechcraft King Air 250 newly equipped with Rockwell Collins’s Pro Line Fusion cockpit.

The U.S. manufacturer also is displaying the Citation XLS+, the CJ4 and the M2 jets, along with the Grand Caravan EX turboprop and Beechcraft Baron and TTx pistons.

According to Bob Gibbs, Textron’s sales vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean, the recently certified Latitude is well suited to operators in this part of the world, offering an above-average combination of cabin size and mission capability in the midsize market segment.

Maximum range is 2,850 nmi, allowing customers to reach North America or cross the Atlantic Ocean with a single stop from cities in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. From Mexico City, the aircraft can reach anywhere in the U.S. non-stop.

The flat-floor, six-foot-tall cabin provides a spacious and comfortable environment for passengers. For a full description of the Latitude see tomorrow’s edition of LABACE Convention News.

Citation CJ3+ On Tour

The new Citation CJ3+ recently achieved certification in Brazil and will be conducting a sales tour of Latin America through the end of August, having visited Mexico and Colombia en route to Brazil. The new light jet offers versatile short-field performance that can be especially advantageous in this part of the world.

Last week, Cessna received certification to offer TCAS II 7.1 collision-avoidance upgrades for the cockpits of earlier model Citations. The upgrade will be especially important for operations in Europe, where the new TCAS standard will be mandatory from the end of 2015.

New King Air Cockpit

Textron believes the recently certified Pro Line Fusion cockpit upgrade option for the King Air 250 will prove popular across Latin America, where there are already more than 1,000 King Air twin turboprops in service.

The avionics suite features full touch-screen flight display systems and will give operators greater flexibility in the way they fly, navigate and communicate. Textron aims to certify Pro Line Fusion-equipped versions of the larger King Air 250i/ER model in the fourth quarter of this year, followed by the C90GTx in the first half of 2016.

 (Charles Alcock - AINOnline News)