Cessna has flown the first Citation CJ4 to be built on its new assembly line in Wichita, Kansas. The light business jet is undergoing pre-delivery flight-testing and will be handed over to the first customer in the second quarter, says Cessna.

Certification testing of the CJ4 is complete - the three test aircraft achieved 1,100 flights and more than 2,000 flight hours between them during the flight-test programme, which kicked off in May 2008.

The $8.4 million Williams International FJ44-4A-powered, Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21-equipped CJ4 offers a maximum cruise speed of more than 450kt (840km/h) and a range of nearly 3,700km (2,000nm) with two crew and five passengers.

It also offers a direct climb to 45,000ft (13,720m) in 28min at maximum take-off weight. Cessna has more than 150 orders for the CJ4 and plans to deliver 15 this year.

Cessna Citation CJ4
 © Cessna

Source: Flight International