Cessna's CJ4 Prototype Flies

Cessna’s Citation CJ4 business jet prototype completed its first flight May 5 in Wichita, Kan. The 2-hour, 22-minute flight, which departed from McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, consisted of maneuver stability and initial systems evaluations. While the pilots took the prototype on a sustained climb to 16,000 feet, engineers monitored its instrumentation and safety equipment via telemetry systems at Cessna’s facility in Wichita, Kan. Since its debut in 2006, the CJ4 has received more than 150 orders, Cessna said. Customer deliveries are set for 2010. “It was an outstanding first flight,” said Cessna Senior Engineering Test Pilot Dan Morris. “We tested quite a number of the systems on the aircraft, including the autopilot, and all performed very well.” Configurable for up to eight passengers, CJ4 is expected to have a maximum speed of 435 knots. The CJ4 will mark the debut of the Williams International FJ44-4A electronically controlled engine. Its twin engines each provide 3,400 pounds of thrust. The aircraft will include Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite and Rockwell Collins cabin management system, Venue. The first flight for production CJ4s will take place later this year. Cessna said it plans to type certify the aircraft by the second half 2009.