Recently, I flew a trip in the Citation X, and an opportunity arose to give a good idea of just how fast the airplane is. Coming home from Lebanon, NH, we happened to be on the same airway as a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 going the same direction, only we were 2000 feet higher and going significantly faster. You can see that in about 90 seconds, we gain over 2.5 miles on the 737.
I couldn’t get a good shot of the plane out the window, but I filmed the TCAS2 (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) display, in which you can clearly see the relative movement between the two airplanes. Conveniently, our true airspeed and groundspeed are also shown on the same display. In most conditions, the X cruises at around 525 knots TAS, and with a hefty tailwind, I’ve seen upwards of 615 knots over the ground, or roughly 700mph.
Enjoy!
Jonathan
HD video here
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