Cessna received FAA type certification for the Citation CJ3+ on Thursday, some six months after the company introduced the new derivative. The CJ3+ features a Garmin G3000 integrated avionics suite, an automatically controlled cabin pressurization system and an advanced fault and maintenance diagnostic system.
Notably, this approval marks the first changeover from the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 system to the G3000 avionics in the current CJ series. A CJ2+ Alpine edition with the G3000 system is currently in flight-test, but Cessna’s current plans are that this system will be available only as a retrofit for this model; it also has not yet announced any G3000 upgrade for the CJ4.
“Cessna is committed to new product development and the swift progress of the Citation CJ3+, from announcement to certification and on to the market,” said Textron Aviation vice president for jets Chris Hearne. “The CJ3+ incorporates the latest in technology for the cockpit and for the passenger cabin.” Specifically, the G3000 avionics suite in the nine-seat CJ3+ includes turbulence-detecting weather radar, Tcas II, Taws and ADS-B capabilities. The aircraft cabin also features a wireless media server, Garmin integrated cockpit and cabin Iridium phone and high-speed Internet capabilities.