By Ben Forrest | October 16, 2023 Estimated reading time 10 minutes, 53 seconds.
Textron Aviation has unveiled the newest entry to its vaunted business jet family, the Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen2, with comprehensive upgrades to both the cabin and the cockpit.
A mock-up of the new aircraft will be displayed at the National Business Aviation Administration Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) this week in Las Vegas, with entry into service expected in 2025.
“The upgrades to this airplane, front and back, really came out of customer suggestions,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO of Textron Aviation, in a pre-NBAA media briefing.
“We brought in a number of current owners and had them spend days here a couple times, working through what features they would really love in the airplane.”
He noted the upgrades are a product of the Textron Aviation Customer Advisory Board, made up of owners, pilots and mechanics. NBAA attendees can view the aircraft mock-up at Textron’s portion of the static display at Henderson Executive Airport.
Draper is also a pilot on the CJ3 series, and said the CJ3+ is his favourite aircraft in Textron’s lineup to fly.
“I just love the combination of everything in the airplane — the flight deck, the performance of the airplane,” Draper told reporters in the media briefing. “It’s my favourite, so I’m glad we’re getting a nice set of features upgrades on this.”
Cockpit enhancements
Textron designed the CJ3 Gen2 to feel, “as good to the pilot as it does to the passenger,” said Lannie O’Bannion, the company’s senior vice-president of global sales and flight operations.
“The aircraft is built upon two decades of success in the market and is the latest example of Textron Aviation’s commitment to constantly innovate and bring the best products and experiences to our customers,” he noted in a release.
Key upgrades to the cockpit include the latest Garmin G3000 software and hardware, including:
- Garmin autothrottles to reduce pilot workload and provide flight-envelope protection;
- An optional enhanced vision system (EVS) to improve clarity and optimize situational awareness;
- An intuitive touchscreen interface; and
- GDL 60 datalink for aircraft connectivity, including remote transmission of flight plans, automatic database updates, and wireless aircraft diagnostic data transmission.
The new aircraft also adds 4.5 inches (11.4 centimetres) of legroom for the pilot, aimed at providing more comfort during flight.
“Whether you’re flying for personal use, charter in a corporate flight department, or even a special mission, there’s nothing else in the market that competes with the CJ3 Gen 2’s cabin and performance,” said O’Bannion.
Comfort-based cabin improvements
The Citation CJ3 Gen2 will have standard seating for nine passengers, with a maximum range of 2,040 nautical miles (3,778 kilometres) and a maximum payload of 2,135 pounds (968 kilograms), the company said. But its interior is also fully customizable toward specific missions.
Cabin features include:
- New seats with base and floor tracking capability, plus an optional swivel function;
- RGB accent lights with changeable, ambient lighting;
- USB-C power at every seat, plus wireless charging in the main cabin;
- Top-loading executive and slimline tables; and
- Lighted side pockets for additional storage.
The rear lavatory offers natural light via CoolView skylights, as well as at new optional sink and vanity design with a dedicated water supply.
“Some of our customers have been flying this airplane for 20 years; they love it,” said Christi Tannahill, senior vice-president of customer experience at Textron Aviation.
“But there a few things to tweak and just make it exceptional … each customer is unique. You can see that they all want to have input on what their interior looks like.”
About 70 per cent of Citation jet interiors today are customized, in comparison to historical rates of between 10 per cent and 20 per cent, she said.
“So this is how important it is that our customers are taking the time, not only to be part of the customer advisory board, but really putting a lot of thought and detail into the airplane.”
Sustainability features
Textron said the new Citation CJ3 Gen2 will be able to operate with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), along with its other Cessna and Beechcraft turbine projects. All CJ3 Gen2 aircraft can be delivered with SAF on board, and the company will offer SAF refuelling at its Wichita Service Center,
The company also cites a commitment to conscious manufacturing, including sustainably sourced interior materials.
“All of our fabrics are rapidly renewable and flame retardant,” said Tannahill. “So, we spend a lot of time on making sure that our suppliers are in line with all of the regulations.”
The aircraft’s leather seats are long-lasting, easy to replace, and durable and biodegradable at the end of their lifecycles, said Tannahill. Meanwhile, the interior carpets are made from either wool or silk.
“The wool is the only commonly-used carpet that is not made from petroleum products,” said Tannahill. “So not only is it beautiful and very durable and reliable, it’s 100 per cent rapidly renewable.
“The silk, it’s actually created from the natural cocoons that are left behind from the silkworms. So the process is unique. They’re harvested, spun together for commercial use, and the process of collecting the silk gives very little waste. The practice of manufacturing silk automatically results in a sustainable fibre and the reduction of environmental pollution.”
The company said it also uses a “robust recycling program,” along with industrial wastewater pre-treatment plants, and used 100 per cent renewable wind electricity to power all its Kansas-based facilities last year.
Textron said the CJ3 Gen2 will maintain Williams International FJ44-3A engines, with a 5,000-hour time between overhauls. Maintenance intervals will remain 12 months or 400 hours.
Customers will be able to fly domestic routes like Las Vegas to Seattle, Teterboro to San Antonio and Orlando to Minneapolis, as well as international routes between Dubai and Cairo and Geneva to Marrakech.
The company acknowledged it will need to certify the aircraft due to the new auto throttle and other enhancements, but said all that is lined up for entry to service in 2025.
“We’re seeing strong demand for this aircraft today,” said Jimmy Beeson, senior manager of technical marketing at Textron Aviation. “And with these added features, we’re taking orders.”
