Cessna chairman and ceo Russ Meyer handed over the keys for Citation X serial number 100 to Ted Townsend, president of Townsend Engineering, in a ceremony at Cessna's Wichita facilities. \rTownsend Engineering, founded in 1945, employs 275 people in five manufacturing facilities in Iowa, Spain, Holland, Italy and Soviet Union. It is a world leader in food processing, hot dog and sausage manufacturing equipment. The company has previously owned two Lear 35s and a Lear 55. \rEBAN spoke to Ted Townsend and Bill Wagner, also of Townsend Engineering, about the reasoning behind the purchase: "We have operated business aircraft for more than 20 years, and consider it to be an essential tool for our growing business. With this aeroplane, we wanted a cutting edge business jet with transatlantic capability and a roomy cabin," Townsend said.\r"When the authorities changed the minimum vertical separation requirements, our Lear couldn't do it any longer, so that's one of the technological advantages of the Citation X, besides the gushing speed, that impresses us. We made 48 Atlantic crossings with the Lear 55. We were not able to get Learjet to step up and do the engineering to RSVM the model - they would do the model 60 but not the 55, so we had no choice but to move on," he stated. \rSaid Wagner: "The huge majority of what we will do with the Citation X is business, to be sure. We would not suggest in all the hours we fly it that none of it was private, but it is primarily for the Townsend Engineering company.\r"In terms of speed, the whole world knows that the Citation X is the fastest non-military jet around - I guess the Concorde is an exception, but a distant one, technologically. The creature comforts in the back are way more than we deserve. They are just fabulous. A huge difference for us, something that in the world of flying everyone else already knows about, is that we stepped up to an aircraft that has full toilet facilities," Wagner said. \r"Now we can have coffee in the first flight hour," Townsend added.\rTownsend Engineering's Citation X has already flown to the US west coast three times since delivery on December 23. \rThe Citation X programme was launched in 1990, with first retail delivery coming in August 1996. Said Meyer, Cessna ceo: "Going from zero to 100 Citation Xs in just over three years is an enormous accomp-lishment for the Cessna team, and is only fitting for the world's fastest business jet."