Textron Aviation is refreshing the cabin of the largest of its Cessna Citation CJ family of light jets, the CJ4, the manufacturer announced today. The CJ4 Gen2 is equipped with enhanced features including new folding airstairs with a lower step to the ground, step lighting, and handrail; added seating options; new ambient lighting, and a galley with improved storage.
The CJ4 Gen2 has received current interior certification under its Model 525C FAA type certificate, and deliveries of the $10.75 million jet will begin this quarter. In addition to the improved storage, new features in the galley include an optional high-power outlet with a pull-out surface for a coffee maker, as well as additional, extendable stone countertops.
In the main cabin, new side-facing seating options include a single folding seat, a fixed two-place couch, and a folding two-place couch for additional storage of passenger belongings. Enhanced lighting in seat pockets, cupholders, and along the sidewall and floor are standard. Two CoolView skylights—a first for a Citation—provide natural light to the lavatory and aft cabin. Manufactured by Lee Aerospace, CoolView windows block 62 percent of infrared rays and nearly all ultraviolet rays, which protect airplane cabins and keep them cool, according to the OEM. A new lavatory vanity and sink are available through the Premier Collection design option.
Cabin improvements are capped off by an upgraded wireless cabin management system (CMS) that comes with a media server capable of streaming preloaded audio and video files, accessing SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and providing moving maps. The CMS also allows passengers to wirelessly control cabin lighting, window shades, and temperature from their mobile devices. In addition, each seat features a USB charging port. Textron Aviation senior v-p of customer experience Christi Tannahill noted the improvements were made based on “collaborative conversations with our customers. And we are proud of the partnerships that led to these results.”
This is the first upgrade to the CJ4, which began deliveries in 2010. More than 320 of the single-pilot twinjet are in operation today. Absent from the improvements is an upgrade to the airplane’s avionics, such as the addition of synthetic vision to its Collins Aerospace Pro Line 21 cockpit or replacing it with the Garmin 3000 avionics package. The Wichita airframer noted that based on feedback from its customer advisory board, the priority for upgrades in the CJ4 Gen2 were “generally focused around the experience in the cabin.”
“In addition to aircraft performance, the cabin experience is a critical element to [customers] selecting the aircraft,” added Textron Aviation senior v-p of sales and flight operations Rob Scholl.
