Updates to Textron Aviation’s Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen2 light jet span its cabin and cockpit
The last few years have seen Textron Aviation update many of its product line, and in October 2023 it revealed the latest – the Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen2 light jet, expected to enter service in 2025. This was even deemed “our most comprehensive Gen2 product announcement yet” by company president and CEO, Ron Draper.
The updates span the cockpit and the interior, and were influenced greatly by a customer advisory board (CAB) of CJ3 owners, along with other stakeholders, including mechanics.
The changes start on the outside, with a new illuminated step design with a handle for safety. There are cockpit changes too, including 4.5in (11.4cm) more legroom for pilots, for better comfort and access. Christi Tannahill, SVP of customer experience at Textron Aviation, says the extra room was “one of the most passionate pieces from our customers because so many of them fly the aircraft”. She adds it was probably the most difficult element to achieve, as it hadn’t been done for the other Gen2 aircraft, and it involved moving and re-engineering some structural pieces.
Some of the features that are shared between Gen2 cabins include the CMS. “Whether you have an M2 or an XLS Gen2, there’s familiarity in that DNA,” says Tannahill. “It’s allowed us to take some of those high-end features and incorporate them in our entry-level jets as well.”
Another of the shared features is an optional side-facing seat in the forward area that folds to provide a place for luggage. Another option is a refreshment centre with expanded cabinet storage; the standard is a fixed side-facing seat.
The cabin seats are new, featuring base and floor tracking and optional swivel. “You can even swivel the chair completely around,” says Tannahill. “You can lie flat if you want. A lot of big jet amenities were incorporated.”
Other new features include RGB accent lights so customers can adjust the colour of lighting; USB-C power at every seat; top-loading tables; illuminated side pockets; and wireless charging trays on the sideledge by every main cabin seat (not the side-facing or lavatory seats). “When somebody gets in an aircraft, they usually take their phone and set it on the sideledge,” says Tannahill. “So now when they do that, whether they’re intentionally doing it or not, it automatically will charge their phone.”
There’s also an optional high-power outlet for a coffee machine; ice and trash storage; and a cabin master control switch panel that pilots can access. “One of the things that’s unique to this aircraft is the pilots may fly the airplane and not have anybody in the back,” says Tannahill.
The lavatory is now externally serviceable, and there’s a new optional sink and vanity design with dedicated water supply, plus CoolView skylights.
Perhaps one of the most eye-catching features of the mockup shown at NBAA-BACE and pictured here is the gold plating. Tannahill shares that the company is attracting an increasing number of first-time buyers and wants to show off its range. “The sky’s the limit when it comes to designing your aircraft, from the paint job all the way through the interior,” she says. “We hadn’t really used this kind of gold metal before, and we wanted to showcase what the possibilities are.”
Demand for customisation is strong – Tannahill says while historically about 25% of customers would customise their aircraft in some way, now it’s about 90% across the whole range, but primarily in the jet product line.
There are various palette schemes as a starting point to make selections less overwhelming, she says, and customers typically want to add a custom carpet, stitching or other unique detail. For example, special veneer inlay designs are possible reusing leftover pieces of veneer. “We own our interior manufacturing facility, which just expanded by another 16,000ft [4,877m], because we have so much customisation going on,” she adds.
This piece was written by Izzy Kington and first published in the December 2023/January 2024 edition of Business Jet Interiors International as part of a roundup of the highlights of 2023.
