Cessna 501 Citation I/SP vs Cessna Citation CJ3

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Cessna 501 Citation I/SP
47.1 × 43.5 ft 14.3 ft tall
2× Turbofan Retractable Pressurized
Cessna Citation CJ3
53.3 × 51.2 ft 15.2 ft tall
2× Turbofan Retractable Pressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification Cessna 501 Citation I/SPCessna Citation CJ3
Stall speed 82 kt102 kt
Approach speed 96 kt105 kt
Cruise speed 345 kt416 kt
Range 910 nm2040 nm
Service ceiling 41000 ft45000 ft
Rate of climb 2719 fpm4478 fpm
Fuel burn 166.1 gph149.0 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Cessna 501 Citation I/SP Jet A
166.1 gph
Baseline
910 nm range 2.1 nm/gal 564 gal usable $997 fuel/hr 3h 23m endurance
Cessna 501 Citation I/SP: 166.1 gallons per hour at cruise, 910 nautical mile published range, 3 hour 23 minute endurance, 2.1 nautical miles per gallon.
Cessna Citation CJ3 Jet A
149.0 gph
Baseline
2,040 nm range 2.8 nm/gal 703 gal usable $894 fuel/hr 4h 43m endurance
Cessna Citation CJ3: 149.0 gallons per hour at cruise, 2,040 nautical mile published range, 4 hour 43 minute endurance, 2.8 nautical miles per gallon.
Jet A range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed

Bars show published still-air range. Endurance is usable fuel divided by the published cruise burn. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft
Density Altitude

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing ground roll

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Scale:
Cessna 501 Citation I/SP Jet A
$1,625 /hr
Baseline
Cessna 501 Citation I/SP: $1,625 per flight hour — fuel $997, maintenance and reserve $628.
Cessna Citation CJ3 Jet A
$1,794 /hr
Baseline
Cessna Citation CJ3: $1,794 per flight hour — fuel $894, maintenance and reserve $900.
Cessna 501 Citation I/SP Turbofan
$14,962 /yr Baseline
Cessna 501 Citation I/SP: $14,962 per year — insurance $0, hangar $12,462, annual inspection $2,500.
Cessna Citation CJ3 Turbofan
$18,509 /yr Baseline
Cessna Citation CJ3: $18,509 per year — insurance withheld, hangar $16,009, annual inspection $2,500.

Estimates only. Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Each bar stacks your selected occupants against full fuel and the aircraft's useful-load limit (the black line). The open gap between them is spare payload. Add an occupant and the gap closes; once it's gone, fuel has to give.

lb

+ lb / pax

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Cessna 501 Citation I/SP
9 / 9 seats 564 / 564 gal fuel 818 lb wet payload 4,597 lb useful 11,850 lb MTOW
Cessna Citation CJ3
10 / 10 seats 703 / 703 gal fuel 820 lb wet payload 5,530 lb useful 13,870 lb MTOW

Occupants at 190 + 30 lb each. Fuel at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: · two fingers to move map

lb

+ lb / pax

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