CitationJet: Evolution through the Years

Editor-in-Chief Robert Goyer takes a look back at the evolution of Cessna's CitationJet.

For avionics, the original “CJ” was a bit of a hodgepodge. It featured twin pilot-side CRTs for the EHSI and EADI, panel-mount nav and comm radios, and a difficult standby instrument configuration that had a peanut ADI for attitude fallback. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

The CJ1 improved upon the original in numerous ways, including eliminating the paddle shaped thrust attenuators that caused many operators more trouble then they were worth. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

Cessna kept the panel-mount radios but the Collins flat panel PFD and MFD were huge improvements to the CJ’s avionics package. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

The CJ1+ brought it all together. It was slightly faster and had a slightly better range than its predecessor, and added FADEC engines for greatly improved operating ease. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

The Collins Pro Line 21 Suite was the first truly integrated suite in an entry-level Cessna jet. With dual PFDs, a full-featured FMS and available satellite weather and electronic charts, the avionics in the 1+ were first rate. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

The CJ2 was the first all-new CJ. With a larger wing, more powerful Williams engines, more capacity and greatly enhanced performance, the CJ2 was an immediate hit. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

With dual PFDs and dual panel-mount radiotuning units, the CJ2 gave pilots a lot of tools and a lot of redundancy. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

The CJ2+ brought it all together for Cessna. The airplane was a faster, roomier, more powerful CJ, while it remained a realistic single-pilot platform. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

CJs all share the same cabin cross section but the CJ2+ is stretched, giving passengers more leg room and more creature comforts for the longer trips it was designed to fly. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

The bigger more powerful CJ3 was a breakthrough derivative for Cessna, as the airplane’s range, capacity and speed gave Cessna a model to square off with larger light jets with which it previously couldn’t compete. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

The Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite was both simpler and more capable while still recognizably being that of a CJ. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

One of the most capable light jets available, the 450-knot, 2002-nm range CJ4 hit the scene last year and made a splash. With the most powerful Williams engines on a Cessna to date, the CJ4 is a lot more airplane than most imagined could be derived from that first CitationJet. For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

More than any other CJ, the CJ4 is an airplane that Cessna designed from the ground up with the latest technologies, including FADEC, twin MFDs and PFDs, dual bolster mounted FMSes, and not one but two cup holders per side! For more, check out "Cessna's Amazing CJs."

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Flying StaffEditor

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