Cessna Citation III
| Citation III / VI / VII | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| A Citation III takes off from Bristol International Airport, Bristol, England | |
| Role | Business Jet |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Cessna |
| First flight | May 30, 1979 (III) |
| Introduction | 1983 (III) |
| Number built | 202 (III) 39 (VI) 113 (VII) |
The Cessna Citation III was the first of the Model 650 series of Citation jets, which are mid-sized, high-performance business jets. The Citation III led to the later development of the Citation VI and Citation VII. The 650 series was the second of six distinct "families" of jets marketed by Cessna Aircraft Company under its Cessna Citation brand.
While the Citation I and II were successful from a sales perspective, their nearest competitors were twin-engine turboprop aircraft. Cessna decided it needed a high performance, mid-sized jet to compete with the growing market of fast corporate jets. To develop such an aircraft, Cessna started from scratch for its design, rather than building on the existing Citation line. Development of the Citation III began in 1978 and the first prototype made its maiden flight May 30, 1979, with the second prototype flying on May 2, 1980. After a typical development flight test program, the aircraft received its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification on April 30, 1982.
The aircraft is flown by a crew of two, and with a typical corporate interior will seat six passengers, although in a high-density configuration, it can seat up to 13. It is powered by a pair of Garrett TFE731-3B turbofan engines.
In 1983, just after the first aircraft were delivered to customers, the Citation III set several class records, including two time-to-climb records and an overall speed record of 5 hours, 13 minutes for a flight from Gander, Newfoundland to Paris' Le Bourget Airport. Production continued for nine years until 1992, with a total of 202 Citation IIIs being built.
In 1989, Cessna announced an upgrade of the Citation III with larger fuel tanks for extra range, while other modifications would improve the aircraft's short-runway performance, enabling it to operate from more airports. The upgraded aircraft was to be called the Citation IV, however Cessna cancelled the program before the first aircraft was built.
Instead of the Citation IV, Cessna focused its attention on developing two other versions of the III simultaneously. The first of these, the Citation VI, was intended to be an economy version of the III; with a basic, standardized avionics package and a generic cabin interior, without the option of custom interiors that were designed for each customer as was the practice with the III. The first flight of the VI took place in 1991, but only 39 aircraft were built before the model was discontinued in May 1995.
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