The latest member of the CitationJet family, the CJ4, is beginning to take shape on jigs and fixtures at Cessna’s headquarters in Wichita. “The first test airplane is in build status,” said Norm Baker, Citation CJ4 program manager. “We have a lot of parts and pieces coming together and are looking forward to those loading into our major assembly jigs.”
The CJ4 is the most powerful CitationJet and incorporates design features that will make it easier to maintain and more efficient to operate than its siblings, the company claims. An entirely new wing with a moderate taper will lift a fuselage that is two feet longer than the CJ3’s. FADEC-controlled Williams International FJ44-4A turbofans will deliver 3,400 pounds of thrust each, up from 2,780 pounds in the CJ3. The new wing and more powerful engines allow for a maximum payload of 2,100 pounds (300 pounds more than the CJ3’s) and a full-fuel payload of 1,000 pounds. The main cabin can be configured for seven or eight passengers, and like all the CitationJets, the CJ4 can be flown single-pilot.
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