A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Cessna Citation 560XL, Excel, XL, XLS, and Ascend

Curt Epstein

Textron Aviation rolled out the first production model of its Cessna Citation Ascend, the latest iteration of the 560XL series. The manufacturer has delivered more than 1,000 560XLs over the past quarter-century.
<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-05-22/textron-aviation-unveils-ascend-latest-xl-family">Launched</a> at the EBACE show in 2023, the midsize Ascend made its first <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-06-14/second-citation-ascend-test-article-takes-flight">flight</a> in June last year and will eventually replace the XLS+ in the airframer’s product lineup. It is expected to receive FAA certification by the end of the year. 
Employees at the OEM’s Wichita assembly facility held a celebration to mark the event. “It is your craftsmanship that continues to make milestones like this possible,” said Todd McKee, Textron Aviation senior v-p of integrated supply chain. “By infusing new technology and bringing new features to the market, we continue to drive the future for us to build these legendary aircraft.” 
With standard seating for up to nine, the Ascend takes many of its design features from its siblings Latitude and Longitude, with a flat floor for extra passenger leg room and the Garmin G5000 avionics suite with autothrottles. 
The Ascend will offer a full-size airstair, an externally serviceable lavatory, single-point refueling, and an upgraded Honeywell RE100 (XL) auxiliary power unit that can be left unattended while running. The aircraft will be equipped with 19 USB charging ports and three universal power outlets.

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Textron Aviation Rolls Out First Production Midsize Ascend Business Jet

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The midsize Ascend made its first flight in June of last year and will eventually replace the XLS+ in the airframer’s product lineup

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In this article

Cessna Citation 560XL, Excel, XL, XLS, and Ascend

Textron Aviation

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It's all about production efficiency.

Execs Address Global Market Dynamics, Supply Chain

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