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Jet Journal
Garmin Upgrades the Venerable Citation Excel/XLS
Operators of the Cessna Citation Excel and XLS (CE560XL) will soon have a great opportunity to upgrade their airplanes with the latest avionics technology. Garmin is in the final stages of certification of the G5000 avionics suite for the Excel and XLS, which they expect to be completed
in Q1 of 2019.
The Excel, with Honeywell Primus avionics, was certified in 1998 and 308 models were produced before per- formance and other upgrades resulted in the XLS in 2006. Cessna then sold 330 models of this version before the latest factory version, the XLS+ rolled out in 2008, featuring the full Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionic suite. The G5000 upgrade is a total replacement of the avionics in these models, including the autopilot. Based upon the popular Garmin G3000/G5000 series, this Garmin upgrade offers operators vastly improved situational awareness and the ability to access RNAV/GPS approaches with lower minimums, thanks to the inclusion of WAAS and PBN/ RNP 0.3 LPV/APV approach capabilities.
The package also includes the integrated digital Garmin Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS). In addition to the obvious advantages of an integrated auto-flight system such as precise steering and fault detection, the Garmin AFCS offers Emergency Descent Mode (EDM), first found in the Citation Mustang and Embraer Phenom 100. If the aircraft experiences a loss in pressurization at high altitude, the autopilot will switch to heading mode, turn left 90 degrees from the current course and descend to 15,000 feet. (Note, since the 560XL does not have au- tothrottles, the pilot still has to reduce the power to idle to complete the emergency descent procedure, however it does make the process easier.)
No new avionics upgrade would be complete without ADS-B Out and WAAS. While ADS-B In is not available at this time, with the increased processing capability of the G5000, multiple SiriusXM weather products can be displayed simultaneously on the displays if operators choose this option. This upgrade also includes the Doppler-enabled Garmin GWX 75 weather radar in the package. If the owners wish to have the latest in Garmin weather detection, an optional upgrade is the Garmin GWX 80 Radar which provides a 3D scanning of potential precipitation hazards as well as hail, lightning and wind shear prediction. This upgrade will be available after the STC is completed.
by Rich Pickett
28 • TWIN & TURBINE October 2018
PHOTO COURTESY OF GARMIN