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The Cessna Citation CJ4 is a twin-engined light business jet built by Cessna (Textron Aviation) as the largest and fastest member of the CitationJet/CJ family, distinguished from its straight-wing siblings by a moderately swept wing. Certified for single-pilot operation and powered by two Williams FJ44-4A turbofans, it is aimed at owner-operators and charter fleets wanting a fast, long-legged light jet with a spacious cabin. For a simulator pilot it represents the top of the CJ line, combining Citation family handling traits with genuinely useful range and speed.
The Citation CJ4, known internally as the Model 525C, is a twin-turbofan light business jet in Cessna's CitationJet/CJ family. It shares the pressurised, circular-cross-section fuselage, T-tail and trailing-link undercarriage philosophy of the earlier CJ1, CJ2 and CJ3, but is set apart by a longer stretched fuselage and a moderately swept wing rather than the straight wing used on the smaller CJs. It is certified for single-pilot operation and typically seats six to eight passengers, with an enclosed lavatory that can double as an extra seat and, on owner-flown aircraft, a further seat available in the cockpit.
The CJ4 was announced in 2006 as a longer, upgraded development of the CJ3/CJ3+, continuing Cessna's practice of stretching the original CitationJet airframe first flown on 29 April 1991. The first CJ4 prototype flew in 2008, and the type received FAA certification in 2010, after a flight-test programme that included around 1,000 sorties; the first production aircraft was delivered that April. More than 300 CJ4s had been delivered before Cessna introduced the upgraded CJ4 Gen2, which entered service in March 2021 (Model 525C serial numbers 0346 onward) with improved avionics, cabin upgrades and an autothrottle; Textron Aviation marked the 400th CJ4 Gen2 delivery in April 2023. In 2024 Cessna announced plans for a further-updated CJ4 Gen3, expected to enter service in 2026, which is planned to introduce the Garmin G3000 PRIME avionics suite and Garmin emergency autoland capability, with autoland upgrade kits also planned for Gen2 aircraft already fitted with autothrottles.
The CJ4 retains the CitationJet family's semi-monocoque aluminium fuselage and pressurised cabin but adds a stretched fuselage and a moderately swept wing in place of the straight wing used on the CJ1/CJ2/CJ3, giving it higher speed capability. It is powered by two Williams (FJ44-4A) turbofans, each rated at 3,621 lb of thrust, mounted high on the tail either side of the T-tail fin. The original CJ4 flight deck used Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics, together with a hazard detection system and a cabin management system; later Gen2 and planned Gen3 versions bring Garmin-based avionics, autothrottle and, eventually, autoland. On the Gen3 specification, maximum occupancy is 11, with a useful load of 6,930 lb (3,152 kg).
The CJ4 is capable of operating up to 45,000 ft. Published range figures for the type fall in the 1,001-2,000 nm bracket for the original aircraft, while the Gen3 specification quotes a maximum range of 2,165 nm (4,010 km) and a maximum cruise speed of 451 ktas (835 km/h), reflecting the performance improvements built into successive Gen2 and Gen3 updates.
The line comprises the original CJ4 (Model 525C), certified in 2010 as a stretched, swept-wing development of the CJ3/CJ3+; the CJ4 Gen2, which entered service in March 2021 from serial number 0346 onward with upgraded avionics, cabin features and an autothrottle; and the planned CJ4 Gen3, announced in 2024 for a 2026 service entry, intended to introduce the Garmin G3000 PRIME avionics suite and Garmin emergency autoland.
The CJ4 serves as a light-to-midsize private and charter business jet, used for owner-flown operations as well as commercial charter fleets. More than 300 examples of the original CJ4 were delivered before production shifted to the Gen2 model, and Textron Aviation celebrated the 400th CJ4 Gen2 delivery in April 2023, underlining the type's continued popularity in the business aviation market.
As the fastest and longest-ranged member of the CitationJet family, the CJ4 gives a simulator pilot the chance to fly a genuinely capable single-pilot business jet, combining the docile trailing-link undercarriage and forgiving low-speed handling associated with the Citation lineage with cruise speeds and range well above the smaller straight-wing CJs. Its single-pilot certification and glass-cockpit avionics suite make it a natural choice for pilots wanting realistic high-workload, single-crew cross-country operations in a light jet.
