The successor to the wildly successful Citation II, the Cessna Citation Bravo was arguably the perfect successor; capturing the market previously filled by the Citation II without directly competing with it. Genius.
Produced between 1995 and 2006 (when the entire Citation II family was retired from production in favor of newer jets), a total of 338 Citation Bravos were produced for a variety of customers – not bad considering the entire Citation II family sold 1,186 times!
Background
Development
Operational History
Private Jet
Charter
Military
Price
Prior to Cessna ceasing production the Citation Bravo in 2006, it was possible to pick up a brand new one for around $6.2 million, or a little under $8.9 million when adjusted for inflation, making it one of the cheapest private jets for its time – a key selling point of the Citation family.
Since then, however, there is only one way for any prospective owner to acquire a Citation Bravo would be on the secondary market, where they typically sell for anything between $1.49 and $2.09 million, making it mildly cheaper than rival aircraft like the Hawker 400.
Similarly, the Cessna Citation Bravo is also cheaper to operate, costing roughly $1,862 per hour (assuming 400 hours flown yearly) compared to $2,116 per hour of the Hawker 400 or $2,114 per hour of the Citation Encore.
Charter cost, on the other hand, is considerably more expensive, hovering around the $2,500 mark dependent on the operator, the route, time of year and the cost of fuel.
Specifications
| Specifications | Cessna Citation Bravo |
|---|---|
| Length | 47 ft 9 in (14.55 m) |
| Wingspan | 51 ft 7 in (15.72 m) |
| Height | 15 ft (4.57 m) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 7 |
| Cruise Speed | 750 km/h (466 mph; 405 kn) |
| Range | 3,185 km (1,979 mi; 1720 nmi) |
| Service Ceiling | 43,000 ft (13,000 m) |
| MTOW | 14,800 lb (6,713 kg) |
How Safe is The Cessna Citation Bravo?
Aside from the low price of their aircraft, the main selling point of the Cessna Citation line (which the Citation Bravo is an integral part of) is just how safe they are.
What’s it Like to Fly on The Cessna Citation Bravo?
What do you think about the Cessna Citation Bravo? Have you ever flown it? Tell me in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of Global Jet via Flickr.