Textron offers all-Garmin avionics retrofit for original CitationJet

Textron Aviation said Tuesday that owners and operators of the original CitationJet can install an all-Garmin avionics suite. The retrofit covers aircraft with serial numbers 525-0001 through 0359 and follows FAA supplemental type certification.

Installations go through Textron Aviation's service network. The upgrade brings cockpit technology already available on the CJ1 and CJ2 to the earlier airframe. According to the manufacturer, it replaces fragmented legacy systems and is meant to cut pilot workload while adding safety-enhancing technology.

At the center of the flight deck are two G600 TXi touchscreen displays with multi-function and primary flight display capabilities. Garmin synthetic vision technology presents primary flight data, aimed at awareness in IFR, marginal VFR or nighttime conditions. A map view can show weather, traffic and airport diagrams without opening a full MFD window.

The installation includes a GI 275 standby flight instrument on the pilot side, with an option for a second unit on the copilot side. Those instruments sync heading, altimeter, airspeed and altitude selections with the primary displays. The cockpit also moves to the TXi engine indication system, which shows integrated timers and automatically computed N1 reference bugs.

Other equipment includes GTN 750Xi touchscreen FMS/NAV/COMM navigators and a GFC 600 digital autopilot. Added features include stabilized approach monitoring, aural V-speed alerting during takeoff and other CitationJet-specific situational awareness functions. FAA Data Comm lets crews communicate with air traffic control by text and receive departure clearances at more than 60 airports, plus enroute clearances and frequency changes while above 16,000 feet in the United States.

The GTN 750Xi has a 6.9-inch display.