Aircraft Ownership
Citation CJ4, production SkyCatcher make first hops
Cessna Aircraft Company is continuing to churn out new models and make rapid progress on those previously announced.
The Citation CJ4 prototype made its first flight on May 5 in Wichita, Kan. It flew for more than two hours. It could be considered the luxury model of the Citation single-pilot jet family with a predicted certification date in late 2009. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2010. It has a full-fuel payload of 1,000 pounds and a maximum payload (by leaving off fuel) of 2,100 pounds. Cessna says the aircraft will have a maximum speed of 435 knots.
Also flying recently was the first production copy of the Cessna 162 piston-engine SkyCatcher, taking to the air just eight weeks after the prototype flew. The two-seater costs $111,500 and features a Garmin G300 avionics system.
See Tom Haines’ blog entry about Cessna’s feat.
May 6, 2008
