First production Citation CJ3 enters flight test

The first production Citation CJ3 (S/N 001) entered flight test last month, three weeks ahead of schedule, according to Cessna. During the 1.5-hour flight, the aircraft was put through a full range of airspeed from stalls to Mmo and coupled approaches. S/N 001 will be used primarily for avionics development and certification. Cessna has dedicated three CJ3s to certification. The prototype has been flying since April 17 and the second production version (S/N 002) is scheduled to take to the air in the fourth quarter. The CJ3 is priced at $5.895 million (2003 dollars). Type certification is anticipated in the second quarter next year, with first customer deliveries in the following third quarter. Cessna said it holds orders for more than 160 CJ3s.