Cessna reports the successful maiden flight of the first production unit of the Citation CJ3+ from the company’s manufacturing facility adjacent to Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita. Mark Tuttle, production flight test pilot, said all systems performed as expected during the 73 minute flight.
The new aircraft was first announced on March 20 of this year, and FAA certification is expected this year.
The newest aircraft in the line of CJ-series jets includes all-new interiors with a redesigned cabin and cockpit, new pressurization and new diagnostics systems. The CJ3+ features the Garmin G3000 avionics suite, which includes turbulence detecting weather radar, TCAS II, advanced Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS), and the installation of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) capabilities.
The addition of ADS-B capability makes the CJ3+ compliant with a significant aspect of Next Generation (NexGen) air traffic control requirements, said company officials. The aircraft also features a wireless media server, Garmin integrated cockpit and cabin Iridium phone, and high speed internet capabilities.
With its long range cruise of up to 2,070 nautical miles, the CJ3+ can fly passengers nonstop from Washington, D.C., to Mexico City; from San Diego, Calif., to Juneau, Alaska; or from Lima, Peru, to São Paulo, Brazil.
The CJ3+ is expected to receive single-pilot certification and has maximum seating capacity for nine passengers.
For more information: Cessna.com
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