Cessna (stand 7091) is giving its Citation CJ4 light business jet a European debut at the show. Its chief executive Jack Pelton has hailed the continent as "the most diverse region in the world for business aviation".

"Levels of interest in our aircraft are definitely beginning to pick up and, while the recovery may be slow, there are reasons for optimism," says Pelton. "Europe will undoubtedly remain a growth area for Cessna... We expect the European Union to remain our single largest market outside the USA for some time."

The $9 million CJ4 is the newest and largest in Cessna's Citation family, which also includes the CJ1+ CJ2+ and CJ3. It received Federal Aviation Administration certification in March, ahead of first delivery in April, and its Textron-owned manufacturer expects European Aviation Safety Agency approval to follow this year.

Approved by the FAA for single-pilot operations, the CJ4 shares a common pilot type rating with the other CJ family members. The jet's range extends to 3,710km (2,000nm), an increase of almost 10% on the 3,380km intended on launch of the programme in 2006, while its speed has also been boosted, from 435kt (805km/h) to 455kt.

Cessna CJ4
 © Cessna

Newly developed Williams FJ44-4A engines power the type, which also has a four-screen Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite as well as Rockwell Collins' new Venue cabin management system.

The FAA has awarded level D certification to the first Citation CJ4 training simulator, located at the Wichita Citation training facility of FlightSafety International.

Construction of Cessna's new Citation Service Centre in Valencia, Spain is due to start in January 2011

Cessna is also hopeful of securing EASA certification of its new AdViz glass cockpit upgrade by the third quarter. EASA approval has already been secured for the retrofit of the European Citation X fleet with Winglet Technology's Elliptical winglets.

Cessna also has a Citation XLS+ and Citation Sovereign on static display at EBACE.

Source: Flight Daily News

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