Cessna Aircraft today laucnhed the CJ4, the latest addition to the Citation family, a new seven seater light jet destined to fill the niche left by the end of Citation Bravo production.

The parent company reported to the stock markets that Cessna would officially introduce the CJ4, at the US National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) annual convention and exhibition in October. Cessna says the aircraft will be a 7-8 seater powered by two Williams International FJ44-4A engines. The aircraft would be certificated for operations up to 45,000ft (13,700m) and Cessna is aiming for a first flight early 2008 for certification by 2010. The company introduced the CJ3 to fill the gap left by the Citation Bravo, although customers had requested a larger version.

“The market success of the CJ1+, CJ2+ and CJ3 proves that Cessna’s basic philosophy for the family is right on target,” said Roger Whyte, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Cessna. “While the CJ4 shares many of the features of the smaller CJs such as the Collins ProLine 21 avionics suite, we’ve made some cabin and airframe changes, such as a new wing, to optimise its performance for this market segment."

Cessna is also rumoured to be studying a large jet heavier than the current largest Citation, the Citation X, which could be announced at the show, which is taking place in Orlando, Florida.

Source: FlightGlobal.com