Overview
- Textron flew the first CJ3 Gen3 prototype from Wichita in a nearly two-hour flight that tested cockpit software with pilots Steve Helmer and Dave Welbrock and reached 41,000 feet and 278 knots.
- The successful sortie moves the CJ3 into a broader flight-test program that Textron says will feed the FAA certification process and support its target to put the CJ3 and M2 into service in 2027.
- The new CJ3 keeps the Garmin G3000 flight deck and adds Garmin autothrottles plus Emergency Autoland to improve single-pilot handling and provide automated recovery if a pilot becomes incapacitated.
- Textron lists the CJ3 Gen3’s cabin and performance specs as seating for up to 10, 1,000 pounds of baggage capacity, a 2,040 nm maximum range, and pilot-focused changes such as 4.5 inches more legroom and swivel configurable seats.
- All three Cessna Gen3 light jets are now in flight testing, a step that could sharpen Cessna’s lead in the light-jet market but still depends on further test results and final FAA approval.