Citation CJ3: specifications and range

A light jet with 3 778 km of range flown by a single pilot. Below are the figures for the type and what each of them means in practice.

Specifications

Full data and photos are on the model page.

Range: what 3 778 km covers

From Moscow on a single leg: Sochi, Yekaterinburg, Istanbul, most European capitals. Tyumen and Ufa with margin to spare.

The book figure is calculated at the notional load and in still air. Eight people with full baggage and a headwind reduce it. A route near the limit of book range is planned with a technical stop.

Below the boundary of the class lies Novosibirsk and everything further east: that needs the midsize class or a fuel stop.

Book range and the real map of legs diverge. In my experience aircraft on the Russian register fly within Russia and to friendly countries: Turkey, Belarus, the CIS, the Middle East, Dubai, the Maldives. Across that list 3 778 km covers most destinations on a single leg, Dubai sits right on the limit, and the Maldives call for an intermediate stop.

A ceiling of 45 000 ft

Flight levels above the bulk of the airline traffic. For a light jet that means fewer delays from separation and the option of clearing weather over the top where aircraft with a 41 000 ft ceiling are routing around it.

The FJ44-3A engines take the aircraft to that level directly, without intermediate steps in the climb. On short legs the time saved accumulates in the climb and the descent.

Cabin and baggage hold

The cabin takes eight or nine seats in the standard layout. Standing upright is not possible — that is how the whole light class of this size is built.

The CJ3's baggage compartment is one of the largest in the class. Eight people with full-size cases, skis and golf equipment fit at the same time.

That is a rare situation for a light jet. Usually the load calculation runs into the volume of the hold before it runs into maximum take-off weight.

Engines

Williams FJ44-3A, one on each side. They are supported on an hourly-payment programme: the owner pays a fixed sum for every hour flown and the programme takes on the overhaul when it falls due.

At purchase look at three things: whether the programme is active now, what level it is, and when the last payment went through. A missed payment ends participation, and reinstatement costs more than continuous coverage would have.

An aircraft without a programme is bought as well. In that case the cost of the coming overhaul is calculated from the hours and deducted from the price of the deal.

Avionics: where the generations divide

The base CJ3 comes with Collins Pro Line 21. The CJ3+, from 2014, received Garmin G3000 with touchscreen control, an autothrottle and current mapping.

A base aircraft cannot be retrofitted to G3000. The difference is built into the structure and splits the pre-owned market in two.

In listings the "+" suffix sometimes goes missing. Establish the generation before any conversation about price.

Single pilot

The type is certified for operation by a single pilot. An owner with a current rating takes the left seat and flies it themselves.

For private operation that removes half the crew cost and eliminates dependence on a second person's schedule. Commercial carriage requires two regardless of the type's certification.

What to check on the particular aircraft

Hours and cycles separately. The CJ3 works a great deal on short legs. For the same hours such an aircraft has many times more take-offs and landings, and airframe life is consumed by cycles.

Calendar checks. They fall due by date irrespective of hours. A low-hours aircraft that has stood for several years costs more to put right than one that has been working actively.

Engine time and programme status on each of the two.

Continuity of the records. Airframe time reconciling with the engines and components, airworthiness directives and service bulletins complied with, the provenance of replaced components.

The state of the cabin and interior. A full interior replacement on a light jet is measured in hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Conclusion

The CJ3 holds its place on the market through a combination: range above the typical for the light class, a 45 000 ft ceiling, a large baggage hold and single-pilot certification.

Demand falls into two groups: Bombardier Global goes to long routes, Hawker and Cessna to short legs. The CJ3 works in the second group.

The price of a particular aircraft is set by generation, life remaining in cycles and on the engines, programme status and what the logbooks say.

The price corridor for the type is covered separately: how much a Citation CJ3 costs.