Cessna Citation III
Cessna · United States · first flew 1979 · light aircraft
The Citation III marked a major step up for Cessna's business jet line, introducing a swept wing and supercritical airfoil for genuine mid-size jet performance.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | twin turbofans on the rear fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- swept wing, unlike the straight wings of other Citations
- twin turbofans on the rear fuselage
- T-tail configuration
Distinguished from other Citations by its swept wing; it retains the family's low-wing, T-tail, twin-rear-engine layout.
Specifications
- The Cessna Citation III has a length of 16.9 m (55 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.3 m (53 ft).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1979, the Citation III departed from the straight-wing Citation formula to compete directly with larger business jets, offering higher speed and altitude capability.
Variants
Led directly to the further-developed Citation VI and Citation VII, which shared its swept-wing airframe with different engines and systems.
Where you'll see it
Still operated by private and corporate owners, though increasingly supplanted by newer mid-size jets.
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