Cessna Citation II/Bravo

Overview

The Cessna Citation II / Bravo (Model 550 family) is the cabin-class light jet that turned the Citation I formula into a credible eight-seat business jet, with greater range, a stretched fuselage, and progressively more capable engines and avionics across nearly three decades of production. The type covers two principal phases: the original Citation II (1978 to 1994, JT15D-4 turbofans, analogue panel) and the Citation Bravo (1997 to 2006, PW530A turbofans, Honeywell Primus 1000 EFIS, trailing-link main gear). The S/II variant produced from 1984 sat between them, with JT15D-4B engines optimised for hot-and-high performance. 1,184 airframes were built across all variants, with the Bravo accounting for 336 of those late-production aircraft.

For the GA buyer, the II / Bravo bracket sits at the heart of the owner-flown light-jet market. The original Citation II offers the most affordable cabin-class jet entry on the resale market, with the trade-off of dated avionics and JT15D-4 engines whose hot-section costs scale with hours. The Bravo’s PW530A engines, modern flight deck, trailing-link gear, and 45,000 ft ceiling make it the family’s preferred long-range owner-operator variant, with acquisition cost meaningfully higher than the II but lower than the Citation V / Ultra / Encore lineage that succeeded it. The published figures on this page reflect the Bravo specification.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Range that justifies the cabin. Bravo sources publish 1,740 nm at long-range cruise with reserves; the original II ranges roughly 1,160 nm. Both are credible coast-to-coast machines, with the II requiring one fuel stop on most US transcontinental missions and the Bravo making many of them in a single leg.
• 45,000 ft service ceiling. The Bravo climbs above weather and most jet traffic, and the airframe is approved for direct climb to FL410 to FL430 in operational use.
• Trailing-link main gear on the Bravo. The Bravo’s trailing-link gear forgives imperfect arrivals and is one of the most owner-loved features of the type.
• Honeywell Primus 1000 glass on the Bravo. Modern EFIS displays, autopilot integration, and standard equipment levels that the original II requires expensive retrofit programs to match.

Trade-offs

• Two distinct aircraft under one type designation. The II and the Bravo share the slug but not the engines, panel, or operating economics. The PW530A Bravo is materially more expensive to acquire and meaningfully cheaper to operate than the JT15D-4 Citation II; pre-buy and ownership planning must be variant-specific.
• Required two-pilot operation. Unlike the Citation I/SP, the II / Bravo is not single-pilot certificated. Owner-operator economics must include a full second pilot or contract crewing.
• Engine reserve discipline. PW530A on the Bravo is a 4,000-hr engine; the JT15D-4 on the II runs a similar 4,000-hr cycle with mandatory hot-section inspection at mid-life. Engine condition dominates resale value in both cases.
• Cabin volume modest by modern standards. The 550-series cabin is comfortable for eight but feels narrow next to the Citation Excel / XLS and the modern super-light bracket.

See Also

• Cessna Citation I – direct down-step in cabin and range, the foundational straight-wing Citation. Compare
• Cessna Citation V / Ultra / Encore – direct up-step in performance and avionics, same straight-wing family. Compare
• Cessna Citation Excel / XLS – modern mid-light Citation, supplanting the Bravo at the upper end of the bracket. Compare
• Beech 200 Super King Air – the turboprop alternative for owners prioritising operating cost over speed in the same cabin class. Compare
• Bombardier Learjet 31 – direct light-jet competitor, swept-wing speed at the cost of runway and cabin. Compare