What Exactly Changed With The Cessna Citation M2 Development?

Summary

The Citation M2 filled a gap in Cessna’s private jet offering to its customers.
The aircraft added more range, speed, and comfort compared to its predecessor, the Citation CJ.
Cessna has upgraded the Citation M2 into the Citation M2 Gen2, announcting the latter model in 2021.

Nowadays, the Cessna Citation M2 is one of the staples of the manufacturer’s private jet lineup, with Cessna even introducing an upgraded M2, called the Citation M2 Gen2, in 2021. Then, the company said that the upgraded M2 is even more focused on pilot and passenger comfort as well as productivity, bringing an enhanced cabin experience that includes premium interior styling, ambient accent lighting, and additional storage in the cabin.

Responding to market demand

However, it had been a decade since Cessna launched the Citation M2 in September 2011, filling a market gap that was apparent in its product lineup. The Citation M2 slotted in between the Citation Mustang and CJ aircraft families, with the former now retired, with the Citation M2 becoming the entry-level aircraft for Cessna’s potential customers.

11 Years Ago Today The Cessna Citation M2 Made Its First Flight

The Cessna Citation M2 was supposed to be the company’s entry-level business jet.

Scott Ernest, the former chief executive officer (CEO) and President of Cessna was quoted as saying by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) that operators and owners have asked Cessna for an aircraft that would have the size, speed, and range of a product such as the Citation M2.

“We expect to see customers new to the Citation family, Mustang owners looking for a logical next step, or CJ1+ operators who want a new, more advanced Citation.”

While the M2 acronym might have indicated that the aircraft was a spiritual successor to the Citation Mustang, that was not the case since Cessna was adamant that its workers chose the M2 name for the new private jet.

Furthermore, it was based on the Citation CJ aircraft family, which had required Mustang owners and pilots to get a new type rating, according to the AOPA. Its official model designation is the Cessna 525, while the Mustang was the Cessna 510 until Cessna ended its production in 2017.

A Cessna CitationJet CJ3 on an airport apron.

52 Years In Service: The Cessna Citation Family’s Different Variants

The Citation series of business jets has been offered since the early 1970s, progressing through a range of variants to meet different demands.

Aircraft specifications

The aircraft is equipped with two Williams FJ44-1AP-21 engines, developed by Williams International, with a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 10,700 pounds (4,853 kilograms), maximum payload of 1,410 lbs (640 kgs), and maximum range of 1,550 nautical miles (2,871 kilometers). Meanwhile, the Citation M2’s maximum cruise speed was 464.7 miles per hour (748 kilometers per hour).

Photo: InsectWorld | Shutterstock

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The two families of aircraft have some overlap in the private aviation industry.

Flying a Citation M2

FLYING Magazine flew the Citation M2 in November 2013. The publication first remarked that the cockpit panel had a lot less clutter, was better organized, and required less attention from the pilots, allowing them to focus on actually flying the aircraft.

Cessna 525 CitationJet M2 airplane at Stuttgart Airport in Germany

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

Furthermore, the new engines have allowed the Cessna Citation M2 to shorten its takeoff distance further compared to its predecessor, the Citation CJ, and climb even faster than the previous-generation aircraft. In conclusion, the pilot said that the Cessna Citation M2 left them “speechless.”