Textron Aviation Inc. , a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company announced continued progress across the Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen3 , Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen3 and Cessna Citation M2 Gen3 light jet programs, advancing the company’s next-generation light jet portfolio toward Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification. The Citation CJ4 Gen3 and the Citation M2 Gen3 are currently in the flight test phase of development.
All three of the light jets will feature the revolutionary Garmin Emergency Autoland, bringing even greater peace of mind to the journey for both pilots and passengers. The CJ4 Gen3 also features next-generation Garmin G3000 PRIME avionics, bringing intuitive, seamless control to the flight deck.
“The Citation CJ4 Gen3 and Citation M2 Gen3 flight test milestones reflect the disciplined progress our teams are making as we bring next-generation capability to the Citation light jet lineup,” said Chris Hearne, senior vice president, Engineering & Programs. “Based on customer feedback, the Gen3s bring new levels of confidence and an elevated experience to pilots worldwide while providing owners and passengers with the performance, comfort and productivity they expect from a Citation.”
The Citation CJ4 Gen3 program has accumulated more than 880 flight test hours across two test articles. Recently completed testing includes Human Factors simulator tests and winglet certification tests for stalls, handling qualities, takeoff and landing performance. The aircraft continues toward expected FAA certification this year.
The Citation CJ3 Gen3 program is expected to achieve first flight soon, as it advances through its certification program toward its expected entry into service of 2027. With nearly 20 flight test hours completed following the recent first flight , the Citation M2 Gen3 is also expected to enter into service in 2027. As the program kicks off its flight test phase, the team is currently focused on developing the runway centerline tracking and brake tuning of Garmin Emergency Autoland.
