Cessna has rolled-out the first production Citation CJ3+ at its Wichita, Kansas facility, and says it is on target to receive US Federal Aviation Administration certification for the light business jet later this year.
The Textron Aviation subsidiary launched the twin-engined CJ3+ on 20 March, to boost sales of its struggling CJ3. Deliveries of the 10-year old aircraft – which sits in the middle of Cessna’s light jet family, between the CJ2 and the CJ4 – have fallen year-on-year since a market peak of 88 in 2008. Deliveries dropped to 15 in 2013, according to Flightglobal’s Ascend Online database.
However, demand for the CJ3+ appears to be on the rise, as Ascend data shows orders for 20 of the nine-seat aircraft to date.
The CJ3+ integrates the Garmin G3000 avionics suite, new interiors and a redesigned cabin and cockpit.
Cessna is holding the list price of the CJ3+ at $8.05 million – the same as the non-upgraded model. The performance and specification of the updated aircraft also remain unchanged.
Cessna says it plans to deliver the first Williams International FJ44-3A-powered CJ3+ in the third quarter.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
