AirCompAnalysis SEPT20.qxp_ACAn 18/08/2020 16:44 Page 1
JET COMPARISON Cessna Citation CJ2+
Cessna Citation CJ3+
Cessna Citation M2
Jet Comparison:
Cessna Citation CJ2+ vs CJ3+ vs M2 How do the Cessna Citation CJ2+, CJ3+ and M2 compare side-by-side? What are the advantages offered by each, and where does the need to step up or down in the Citation family arise? Mike Chase analyses the performance and productivity parameters. ver the following paragraphs we’ll consider key productivity parameters for the Cessna Citation CJ2+, CJ3+ and the M2 (including payload, range, speed, and cabin size) to establish which aircraft provides the better value in the Light Jet market. Where does the case for an operator to upsize or downsize lay within a product line? It is hoped that the following jet comparison will help clarify.
O
Cessna Citation CJ2+
The original CJ2 (Model 525A) was produced between 2000 and 2005. In 2006 the CJ2+ was introduced with updated avionics, increased performance and FADEC controls. In fact, when it was introduced, the CJ2+ came with 17 of the CJ2’s most popular equipment options as standard. Today, there are 210 wholly owned CJ2+ aircraft in operation worldwide, an additional eight in shared ownership, and five in
68 Vol 24 Issue 9 2020 AVBUYER MAGAZINE
fractional ownership giving a total global fleet of 223.
Cessna Citation CJ3+
The original CJ3 received FAA type certification in October 2004, ending production ten years later in 2014 when the CJ3+ was introduced with a number of upgrades. The CJ3+ remains in production today, and is permitted to operate with a single pilot under the US registry only. When it was introduced to the market, the model offered an additional two feet in cabin length over the CJ2/CJ2+, and the wingspan was extended by three feet. Today, there are 150 wholly-owned Cessna Citation CJ3+ jets in operation worldwide. A further eight are in shared ownership, and three more are fractionally-owned, giving a total fleet of 161.
Cessna Citation M2
The Cessna Citation M2 started delivering in
2013 as a replacement for the CJ1+. Its wingtip extensions are too subtle to be called ‘winglets’, and Cessna instead refers to them as ‘swooplets’. The M2 was the first Light Jet to feature Garmin’s G3000 system flat-panel avionics, which was an evolution of the G1000-based system that was standard in the Citation Mustang and in all of Cessna’s current single-engine turboprop models. Today there are 239 wholly-owned Citation M2s and 14 more in shared ownership, giving a total fleet of 253 in operation worldwide.
Payload & Range Comparison
When comparing aircraft, an important area for potential operators to focus on is payload capability, and especially the ‘Available Payload with Maximum Fuel’. Table A (overleaf) shows the Citation CJ3+ jet's Available Payload with Maximum Fuel to be 820lbs, which is more than the 715lbs for the CJ2+ and the M2’s 514lbs capacity. www.AVBUYER.com
w