Cessna Citation II

Design and development

The Citation II (Model 550) was developed to provide the same docile low-speed handling and good short-field performance as the preceding Citation I while addressing a primary criticism of that aircraft — its relatively slow cruise speed of around 350 kn at altitude. The II stretches the Citation I fuselage by 1.14m (3 ft 9in), increasing seating capacity to ten (two pilots and eight passengers) and gross weight to 13,300 lb. Wingspan was increased by 5.1 ft, fuel capacity was increased from 544 gal to 742 gal, and more powerful, 2500 lbf Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4 engines were installed for a higher cruise speed of 385 kn and a longer range of 1,159 nmi. The cabin interior was also redesigned to increase headroom by 5 in.

The stretched Citation was announced in September 1976, it first flew on January 31, 1977, and FAA certification was awarded in March 1978. The II/SP (Model 551) is the single pilot version, type certificated to slightly less stringent FAR Part 23 standards, with a slightly reduced maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) at 12,500 lb and minor changes in cockpit equipment.

Citation S/II

The improved Citation S/II (Model S550) was announced in October 1983 and first flew on February 14, 1984, before certification in July. It gained a supercritical airfoil with swept wing roots, aileron and flap gap seals, and a fluid deicing system instead of the pneumatic deicing boots used on earlier Citations. To further reduce drag, the fuselage and engine nacelle pylons were redesigned, and nacelle fairings were added. Fuel capacity was increased by 120 gal. The result of the improvements was a cruise speed of 403 kn—exceeding 400 kn, felt to be an important marketing benchmark by Cessna—and a range of 1,378 nmi with a 45-minute fuel reserve. The improved 2500 lbf JT15D-4B engines had higher temperature-rated components, allowing more thrust at higher altitudes.

The S/II replaced the II from 1984, but some potential buyers objected to the sharp price increase from for the II to $3.3M for the S/II, prompting Cessna to reintroduce the II in late 1985; both were built until the Bravo was introduced. Deliveries of the S/II amounted to 160, including fifteen T-47A aircraft purchased by the U.S. Navy. The S/II's higher performance coupled with its relatively low production total led to substantially higher demand on the used aircraft market compared to the standard II and II/SP.

Government variants

The US Customs & Border Protection purchased ten Citation IIs configured with fire control radar (initially the F-16's AN/APG-66(V), later the Selex ES Vixen 500E system) and the WF-360TL imaging system. These aircraft have been used effectively in Panama, Honduras, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico and Aruba. The similar OT-47B aircraft are based on the Cessna Citation V airframe.

The T-47A was a modified version of the Citation S/II (Model 552) for the U.S. Navy, featuring a 5 ft wingspan reduction and hydraulically boosted ailerons for improved maneuverability, 2900 lbf thrust JT15D-5 engines, a cockpit roof window for better pilot visibility during hard maneuvering, strengthened windshields for protection against bird strikes during high-speed low-altitude sorties, multiple radar consoles, and the AN/APQ-167 radar system. Intended to replace the North American T-39D as a radar systems trainer aircraft, fifteen aircraft were purchased in 1984 to train naval radar intercept officers.

All T-47A aircraft were operated with civil aircraft registration numbers by Training Air Squadron VT-86 based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. On July 20, 1993, ten of the fifteen aircraft were destroyed when a roofing contractor accidentally set fire to a hangar at Forbes Field where the aircraft were being stored by Cessna. The five survivors were subsequently transferred to Cessna and other civil owners.

Citation Bravo

The Citation Bravo first flew on April 25, 1995, was granted certification in August 1996, and was first delivered in February 1997. It features new P&WC PW530A turbofans, modern Honeywell Primus EFIS avionics, a revised Citation Ultra interior and a trailing link main undercarriage. Production of the Bravo ceased in late 2006 after 336 had been delivered.

Its more efficient PW530A generates 15% more thrust at takeoff and 23% more at altitude. It burns 1,100 lb of fuel in the first hour, dropping to 750-830 lb the second hour cruising at 360-365 kn at FL410-430 and then 637 lb the third hour at 350 kn and FL450. The engine overhaul every 4,000 hours cost $1 million or $275 at power by the Hour. In 2018, early 1997 models starts at $800,000, up to $1.7 million for 2006 planes. The Bravo was replaced by the better-but-more-expensive Citation CJ3. The competing Beechjet 400A is roomier and faster but needs more fuel and more runway, while the compact Learjet 31A is faster but has less range. The faster and more expensive Citation V Ultra has a longer cabin but consumes more fuel.

Upgrades

By December 2006, Clifford Development in Ohio had launched a program to re-engine Citation IIs with 3,000 lbf Williams FJ44-3 engines for $1.9 million (~$ in ). Clifford expected a STC within 12 months, 21% faster long-range cruise, 29% longer range, 34% better single-engine climb rate and 20% better fuel efficiency. By May 2007, Sierra Industries in Texas was also developing a similar modification, as 900 Citations qualify for it, directly as a broker and MRO provider, while Clifford should license its STC.

In September 2008, the FAA granted a STC to Sierra Industries. The Super S-II made its first flight on September 26. The conversion cost $1.9 million in 2009, resulting in a $3.5-4.6 million value for a converted Citation II. Ceiling is increased from FL 410 to FL 430, reached directly in 25 min at max takeoff weight with a thrust increased from 2,500 to 2,820 lbf each. Dual-channel FADEC allows a much lower residual thrust, eliminating the need for thrust reversers. Max fuel payload is bumped from 328 to 1,278 lb for the Citation II, and the S-II can carry 400 lb more than the initial 1,036 lb.

Cruise speeds are faster by 45 to 400 kn for the 550, and by 35 to 420 kn for the Citation S-II. The converted 550 is 25% more fuel efficient than the JT15D-powered original at the same speed, and burns 775 lb of fuel per hour at 390 kn. The 550 Range is improved by 397 to 1,775 nmi, and by 461 to 2,300 nmi for the S550. The re-engined S550 can reach 446 kn at FL270. Clifford and its partner Stevens Aviation could also update the flight deck with Collins ProLine 21 avionics and refurbish the cabin. Clifford was touting a 14% faster optimum cruise speed, and a 32% lower fuel burn for the S550. Sierra was announcing a 1,890 and 2,064 nmi IFR/VFR range for the re-engined Super II; or a 2,340 and 2,610 nmi IFR/VFR range for the re-engined Super S-II. By June 2012, Sierra Industries had re-engined 59 various Citations with FJ44s, among avionics retrofit and airframe modifications.

Variants

• Citation II (Model 550), stretched development of the Model 500 with increased wingspan, fuel capacity and gross weight, first produced in 1978. Initially replaced by the S/II in production, but was brought back and produced side by side with the S/II until the Bravo was introduced.
• Citation II/SP (Model 551), single-pilot version of Model 550 with reduced gross weight.
• Citation S/II (Model S550), development of Model 550 introduced in 1984 featuring a supercritical wing with swept wing roots, increased fuel capacity, and various minor improvements. Initially replaced the II in production.
• T-47A (Model 552), U.S. Navy radar systems trainer version of S/II with a shortened wingspan, strengthened windshields, cockpit roof windows, more powerful JT15D-5 engines, and military equipment.
• Citation Bravo (Model 550 Bravo), The last Citation Bravo rolled off the production line in late 2006, ending a nearly 10-year production run of 337 aircraft.

Operators

Military operators

;Argentina

• Argentine Army Aviation ;Colombia
• Colombian Air Force ;
• Dominican Republic Air Force ;Ecuador
• Ecuadorian Army Aviation ;Myanmar
• Myanmar Air Force ;Nigeria
• Nigerian Air Force ;Pakistan
• Pakistan Army ;Saudi Arabia
• Royal Saudi Air Force ;South Africa
• South African Air Force ;Spain
• Spanish Air Force
• Spanish Navy
• National Police Corps of Spain ;Sweden
• Swedish Air Force ;Turkey
• Turkish Air Force ;United States
• United States Navy ;Venezuela
• Venezuelan Air Force

Civilian operators

;Austria

• Tyrol Air Ambulance ;Denmark

;Canada

• Transport Canada Oman

• Oman aviation services

• Oman Air

Airline operator

The Citation was also operated by at least one airline in scheduled passenger service, Enterprise Airlines in the U.S., from the late 1980s to 1990.

Accidents and incidents

• On September 4, 2022, a Cessna 551 heading from Jerez, Spain, did not land at its intended destination, Cologne, Germany, but instead kept flying across Germany and the Baltic Sea where it eventually ran out of fuel and crashed in the sea off Ventspils, Latvia. The pilot had reported problems with air conditioning and pressurization early in the flight but later stopped responding to communications. A possible cause of the crash is that loss of cabin pressure rendered everyone on board unconscious.
• On May 22, 2025, a 1985 Cessna 551 heading from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego, California crashed into military housing in the Murphy Canyon neighbourhood of San Diego, causing extensive fires and six casualties. The NTSB determined several factors that occurred prior to the crash including the pilot not discussing alternate airport weather conditions with the controller, lower than average elevation height during descent, as well as the destination airport’s weather data system and runway lights being disabled.
• On December 18, 2025, a Cessna 550 Citation II crashed while making an emergency landing at Statesville Regional Airport shortly after takeoff. The crash killed everyone on board: aircraft owner and semi-retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, their two children, and three others.

Specifications (Cessna S550 Citation S/II)

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|max takeoff weight lb=15100 Powerplant

Performance

References

• Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International, Vol. 182, No. 5370, 11–17 December 2012. pp. 40–64. .
• Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International, Vol. 188, No. 5517, 8–14 December 2015. pp. 26–53. .
• Hoyle, Craig, Farfad, Antoine. "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International, Vol. 196, No. 5715, 10–16 December 2019. pp. 26–54. .
• Lambert, Mark. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1993–94. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. .
• .

References

1. (April 28, 2015). "500-Series Technical Review". [[Textron Aviation]].
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3. [http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/border_security/am/operations/oam_vessels/aircraft/fw_aircraft/c550_cessna_factsheet.ctt/c550_cessna_factsheet.pdf Cessna C-550 Fact Sheet]{{dead link. (August 2017)
4. (12 May 2004). "Model Designation of Military Aerospace Vehicles". [[United States Department of Defense]].
5. Baugher, Joe. (February 27, 2021). "US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos, Third Series (160007 to 163049)".
6. Fred George. (February 26, 2018). "Second-Generation Citation II Is Cost-Effective Entry-Level Jet".
7. Gordon Gilbert. (December 11, 2006). "Citation II Williams FJ44-3 re-engine STC in the works". AIN online.
8. Ian J. Twombly. (May 30, 2007). "Mod firms give Citation II more power". AIN online.
9. (September 22, 2008). "STC'd: FAA Gives 'The Nod' To FJ44-3A-Powered Sierra Super II". Aero-News Network.
10. (7 October 2008). "NBAA 2008: Sierra mod helps Citation SII 'achieve full potenital'". flightglobal.
11. Robert Goyer. (April 14, 2009). "Citation IIs Sierra Style". Flying magazine.
12. Thomas A. Horne. (March 1, 2010). "Thrust buster: Sierra Super S-II". Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
13. Dave Higdon. (June 1, 2011). "Inside maintenance - Citation Upgrades". AvBuyer.
14. "S550 brochure". Clifford Development.
15. (2013). "Catalog". Sierra Industries.
16. (June 20, 2012). "Sierra Industries Sets New Delivery Records For Modified Citation Aircraft". Aero-News Network.
17. [http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=160 The Cessna Citation II & Bravo from Airliners.net]
18. [http://aviation-safety.net/database/type/type-general.php?type=CE-550 Citation II info from Aviation Safety Network]
19. [http://aviation-safety.net/database/type/type-general.php?type=CE-S550 Citation S550 info from Aviation Safety Network]
20. updated S/II with new PW530A engines, landing gear and Primus 1000 avionics.[http://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/cessna_bravo/ "Cessna Citation Bravo Light Business Jet Cessna Citation Bravo Light Business Jet, USA", ''Aerospace-Technology.com'']
21. [http://aviation-safety.net/database/type/type-general.php?type=CE-550B Citation Bravo info from Aviation Safety Network]
22. link. (February 26, 2008 17 July 2006)
23. Hoyle and Farfad ''Flight International'' 10–16 December 2019, p. 32.
24. Hoyle ''Flight International'' 8–14 December 2015, p. 37.
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26. Hoyle and Farfad ''Flight International'' 10–16 December 2019, p. 48.
27. Hoyle and Farfad ''Flight International'' 10–16 December 2019, p. 49.
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33. Watson, Julie. (22 May 2025). "Multiple people on private plane that crashed into San Diego neighborhood are dead, authorities say".
34. Lee, Hank. (18 December 2025). "NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, family among 7 killed in Statesville plane crash". WCNC.
35. Lambert 1993, pp. 465–466.