WICHITA, Kan., May 30, 2014 – Cessna Aircraft Company, part of the Textron Aviation segment of Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT), today celebrated the rollout of the first production unit of the Citation CJ3+ at the company’s manufacturing facility in Wichita, Kan. The new aircraft was first announced on March 20 of this year, and it is expected to receive Federal Aviation Administration certification during the second half of the year.

“Today’s rollout occurred just two months after the announcement of the new CJ3+, showing our strength in investment and certification of new products,” said Chris Hearne, vice president, Jets. “We are eager to get the CJ3+ into the hands of customers later this year where they will benefit from the upgraded Garmin G3000 flight deck and incorporation of the latest Citation cabin features.”

The aircraft includes all-new interiors with a redesigned cabin and cockpit, new pressurization and new diagnostics systems. The CJ3+ features the Garmin G3000 avionics suite, which includes turbulence detecting weather radar, TCAS II, advanced Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS), and the installation of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) capabilities. The addition of ADS-B capability makes the CJ3+ compliant with a significant aspect of announced Next Generation (NexGen) air traffic control requirements. The aircraft also features a wireless media server, Garmin integrated cockpit and cabin Iridium phone, and high speed internet capabilities.

With its range of up to 2,070 nautical miles, the CJ3+ can fly passengers nonstop from Washington, D.C., to Mexico City; from San Diego, Calif., to Juneau, Alaska; or from Lima, Peru, to São Paulo, Brazil. The CJ3+ is expected to receive single-pilot certification and has maximum seating capacity for nine passengers.

Source and photo: Cessna