This parting look at the Cessna Citation III shows its supercritical airfoil nicely, note the trailing edge cusp on the wing’s underside traced out by the flap actuator fairings. While it can be argued that the Citation III/VI/VII line didn’t live up to its promises, the aircraft did cement Cessna’s place in American aviation as a force in the business jet market. Just before the delivery of the first Citation III, Cessna reached for the first time $1 billion in sales, but the collapse of piston engined aircraft manufacturing in the America in the 1980s due to product liability laws hit Cessna hard and the number of employees went from 18,000 in 1980 to only 3,000 in a few short years. Cessna was on the ropes financially, supported only by the Citation division. In 1985, defense giant General Dynamics bought Cessna which allowed continued funding of crucial R&D work in the Citation division. In 1986, the Citation product line won the coveted Collier Trophy with the delivery of the 100th Citation III and by 1988, Cessna delivered its 1500th Citation jet aircraft. In 1990, Cessna had captured 50% of the worldwide market of light to mid-sized business jets. With crucial cutting edge experience from developing the Citation III/VI/VII line under their belts and the coming of the General Aviation Revitalization Act (signed in 1994), Russ Meyer, who succeeded Dwayne Wallace as the CEO of Cessna and only its third CEO in the company’s history, felt the time was right to push the envelope even further that what had been done with the Citation III line. That came in 1990 with the launch of the Citation X…... #avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KADS #ADS #Addison #airport #planespotting #instaplane #instagramaviation #Avgeekery #Cessna #Citation #CitationIII #N125RH #splendid_transport #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flight #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeek_SchoolofKnowledge (at Addison Airport)
