ZitatAlles anzeigenFlying the CJ4
By last December, Cessna had completed all testing for the FAA, a task that required more than 1,800 hours of flying in three airplanes. I was invited to fly the first production airplane, which had participated in the flight testing along with the prototype and the No. 2 production airplane. Even though it was built on production tooling, it was still laden with test equipment and ballast, so with just engineering test pilot Peter Fisher and I on board, we could bring the weight up to 16,650 pounds for takeoff, just about one or maybe two passengers short of the 16,950-pound takeoff limit.Climbing into the CJ4 cockpit, you will immediately appreciate the short pedestal while clamoring into the seat. The CDUs and most other controls have been moved to tilt panels forward of the throttles, which cuts the pedestal length dramatically.
The CJs have had fadec engine controls for several years, but the CJ4 is the first to not have mechanical fuel-cutoff positions on the throttles. Cessna and Williams have acknowledged that the computer is in charge, and it will put fuel into the engines when it's ready during start and will shut it off when you push the engine button from run to stop. It's an important cultural step and one that recognizes automation is here to stay.
The CJ4 checklist is somewhat shorter than those for others in the family, thanks to more automation. For example, as in many other newer jets, the pressurization system looks up the elevation of the destination you have loaded into the FMS and enters it, saving pilots an unnecessary step.
Every light in the CJ4 is some sort of an LED, so turning on any and all lights that can help in visibility won't shorten bulb life. The LEDs could last as long as the airframe, and maybe even outlast CJ4 pilots.
Cessna seems to have gotten the steering and brakes just right on the CJ4, and smooth, precise taxiing is easy. The flight control and throttle positions are totally familiar to anyone who has flown any CJ. And the takeoff speeds of 107 knots for V1 and VR and 116 knots for V2 are just about the same for a near-maximum-weight takeoff in the others.
The new, bigger wing and more powerful Williams engines teamed up to give an initial climb rate of near 4,000 fpm. Normal-climb airspeed target is 240 knots until reaching Mach .64. With one brief level-off on the way up, the CJ4 was through 30,000 feet in just over 10 minutes. There was moderate turbulence as we climbed through 37,000 feet in under 14 minutes. Air temperatures were within a degree or two either side of standard, and we arrived at 45,000 feet before the clock hit 23 minutes. Those are climb rates pilots of the first CJ could never have imagined.
At the certified ceiling of 45,000 feet, the CJ4 quickly accelerated to Mach .75, which equals about 425 knots true airspeed. Total fuel flow was 1,040 pounds per hour (pph). That is more than 10 knots faster than Cessna engineers predicted, but the fuel flow is on target, so the range is longer than forecast. Flying faster on the same fuel flow is a very good thing. If you had a big tailwind, you could pull back to the long-range cruise of around 390 knots and stay up longer and thus go farther, but in light winds or with a headwind, the maximum power cruise comes close to matching the slower long-range cruise in distance covered.
I made some steep turns at 45,000 feet and couldn't make the wing buffet until the angle went well past 45 degrees, and I pulled pretty hard, and then there was only a very small rumble of complaint. The new wing clearly has lots of margin even at its ceiling.
The new variable-position speed brakes are a delight to use, making it easy to stay right on airspeed limits while still achieving the necessary rate of descent to meet controller demands. Down at 31,000 feet, where the CJ4, like most turbofan-powered airplanes, hits its maximum cruise speed, the air was three degrees below standard, and with max cruise power set, the jet blew right through its Mach .77 limit. With power pulled back to keep the speed right on the Mmo maximum Mach red line, the colder temperatures held true airspeed down to 448 knots, clear evidence that the airplane easily makes the brochure maximum of 453 knots with air temperature at standard.Despite having an all-new wing, the overall flying qualities of the CJ4 seem to match the rest of the family with totally predictable and docile behavior. The new all-electric trim system matches its speed perfectly to the airplane configuration, so there is little pushing or pulling with speed change and flap extension or retraction. Some pilots may miss the trim wheel spinning against their right knee, but I never touch the thing except to grab and hold on when it runs away in the simulator. If the primary trim fails in the CJ4, there is a second system with a rocker switch on the pedestal under your right hand.
Cessna has done a great job of establishing easy-to-remember speed limits, and there are really only two. For all gear actions the speed limit is 200 knots, and the same for approach flap setting. Landing flaps can go out at 160 knots. None of that 197 knots, or 154 or whatever, that is such fodder for oral exams on type-rating checks.
Around the airport the CJ4 is as easy to fly as any airplane, jet or propeller. Landing approach speeds will usually be just over 100 knots, and the trailing-link landing gear that Cessna perfected many years ago smoothes every touchdown. The lift-dump flap extension of the other CJs is eliminated because the six panels of ground spoilers are so effective. It is perfectly natural to move your hand from the throttles to the longer speed-brake lever on touchdown to extend the spoilers.
Though all testing was complete at the end of last year, Cessna was still awaiting FAA certification, which undoubtedly will have happened by the time you read this. Single-pilot eligibility had been established, and it certainly looked like the CJ4 would qualify to be flown by pilots holding the CE-525 type rating assigned to all other CJs. If I had a vote, I would certainly put the CJ4 under the same type rating with a few days of required "differences" training to learn how to use the system and avionics advances.
In an otherwise dismal market for light jets, the CJ4 is a bright spot with a big order book with essentially no cancellations. Deliveries are expected to begin early in the second quarter. With its longer cabin, advanced avionics and systems, 2,002 nm range and 425-knot cruise speed, the CJ4 delivers what other light jets can't. That, along with the rock-solid reputation of Cessna and the CJ family behind it, is the recipe for success in any market condition.
Der Verkaufsprospekt!
Beschreibung und Spezifikationen!
Sonderausstattungsliste mit Preisen!
Unterhaltskosten des Musters, vielfältig aufgeschlüsselt!
Flight Planning Guide!
Viel Spaß beim Lesen! :beer: