| Citation III / VI / VII | |
|---|---|
 Citation III | |
| General information | |
| Type | Business Jet |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Cessna |
| Number built | 360: 202 III, 39 VI,[1] 119 VII[2] |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1983-2000 |
| Introduction date | 1983 (III) |
| First flight | May 30, 1979 (III) |
| Developed into | Citation X |
The Cessna Citation III is an American business jet produced by Cessna and part of the Citation family. Announced at the October 1976 NBAA convention, the Model 650 made its maiden flight on May 30, 1979, received its type certification on April 30, 1982 and was delivered between 1983 and 1992. The cheaper Citation VI was produced from 1991 to 1995 and the more powerful Citation VII was offered between 1992 and 2000; 360 of all variants were delivered, while a proposed transcontinental variant, the Citation IV, was canceled before reaching the prototype stage. An all new design, the Citation III had a 312 sq ft (29 m2) swept wing for a 22,000 lb (10 t) MTOW and a 2,350 nmi (4,350 km) range, a T-tail and two 3,650–4,080 lbf (16.2–18.1 kN) TFE731 turbofans. Its fuselage cross section and cockpit were kept in the later Citation X, Citation Excel and Citation Sovereign.