Cessna Citation X AutoPower®
The Fourth Axis
On the most fundamental level, flying is about controlling three axis: pitch, yaw, and roll. However, in today’s dynamic cockpit environment, there is a fourth axis to control…speed. The mission of AutoPower® – the Automatic Throttle System (ATS) from Safe Flight Instrument, LLC – is the precise management of speed through the control of thrust during all phases of flight.
Safe Flight pioneered the development of automatic throttle technology which is now standard equipment on most large transport aircraft. Today, Safe Flight brings this level of cockpit sophistication to the Citation X.
AutoPower® delivers significant flight performance advantages resulting in reduced crew workload and increased situational awareness.
Precise Speed Control
AutoPower® is an automatic throttle system designed to provide precise air speed control and engine target settings, from takeoff to touchdown. AutoPower® manages N1 for takeoff, climb, and go-around power modes and for speed control. It delivers smooth and precise speed control, increased situational awareness, reduced crew workload, greater passenger comfort, increased payload/range potential, and fuel savings.
AutoPower® manages engine thrust through the aircraft’s thrust levers, keeping the pilot in the loop. When the system changes thrust, the thrust levers move. Overriding the throttles never takes more force than moving the throttles when AutoPower® is not engaged.
Flight crew transition to AutoPower® operation is intuitive. The system automatically controls thrust during takeoff, climb, cruise, approach, landing, and go-around. It integrates seamlessly with the AFCS vertical modes while automatically capturing the selected speed, Mach number, or N1 position.
AutoPower® Advantages
- Safe Flight’s Automatic Throttle Systems are installed in over ninethousand commercial, corporate, and military aircraft.
- Takeoff to touchdown automated thrust and speed control through
servo thrust lever positioning for optimized profile performance,
reduced crew workload, and increased passenger comfort. - Integrated with the Flight Management System to provide continuous engine exceedance protection, VNAV speed targets, and automated thrust management.
- Precise and smooth speed control regardless of maneuver,
turbulence, or ATC-speed requests. - AoA-referenced speed protection.
- Intuitive operation – fully integrated with existing avionics
displays/controls.