Engine Bound For Upcoming Citation CJ4

The folks at Cessna tell Aero-News that on Monday morning, the company flew the new Williams FJ44-4A engine aboard a Citation test bed aircraft for the first time. The Williams FJ44-4A will power the new Citation CJ4 bizjet now under development by Cessna.

First flight of the CJ4 (shown at right) is scheduled for the first half of 2008, and entry into service is set for the first half of 2010.

"The first flight of the new engine went very well, and performance exceeded our expectations during the 50-minute flight," said CJ4 Program Manager Norm Baker III. "This new Williams engine is going to give our aircraft excellent capability in terms of performance, thrust, fuel economy and aerodynamics."

The Williams International FJ44-4A electronically controlled (FADEC) engine will debut on the CJ4. The twin engines each provide 3,400 pounds of thrust (de-rated from 3,600 pounds), compared to 2,820 pounds of the CJ3’s FJ44-3A.

Cessna says the FJ44-4A has the best thrust-to-weight ratio in its thrust class, and it incorporates several proprietary aerodynamic improvements that yield a significant reduction in fuel consumption. Although slightly larger than an FJ44-3A, it is still a close derivative and makes use of the same FADEC system.

The Williams engine on the new CJ4 follows Cessna's 'family' concept for its CJ line. Cessna’s CJ1+ is powered by Williams’ FJ44-1AP, the CJ2+ is powered by the FJ44-3A-24, and the CJ3 is powered by the FJ44-3A.

"Every lesson we’ve learned in three million FJ44 flight hours has been applied to this latest model," said Gregg Williams, President and CEO of Williams International. "It is our most efficient engine yet, and thanks to all our prior field experience, as well as reduced operating temperatures, it will enter service with a very attractive Total Assurance Program price and a 5000-hour TBO." 

Configurable for seven to eight passengers in the main cabin, the CJ4 is expected to have a full fuel payload of 1,000 pounds and maximum payload of 2,100 pounds, more than 300 additional pounds compared to the typical CJ3. The CJ4 is expected to have a cruise speed of 500 miles per hour (435 KTAS).

The CJ4 will sport a new, moderately-swept wing, similiar in some aspects to the Sovereign -- including the three upper speed brake panels on each wing, which will improve the aircraft's short-field performance on landing. The CJ4 will be able to takeoff from runways as short as 3,300 feet, according to Cessna.

Like others in the CJ family, the CJ4 will use the Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite and will feature four 8-by-10 inch flat screen displays. Some of the standard systems include engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS), TAWS Class A (terrain awareness warning system), TCAS II (traffic alert and collision avoidance system), cockpit voice recorder (CVR), electronic charts, and XM graphical weather.

FMI: www.williams-int.com, www.cessna.com