Page 10 - March 2015 Volume 19 Number 3

aircraft that was actually the first production airplane off the line. Beginning at the vault-like 12-pin double-seal door, he showed the bleed-air inflatable seal that presses a passive seal into place; even if the active seal fails, flight can continue as high as 35,000 feet. The door has a hold-open brace that reportedly can keep it from slamming shut in winds up to 40 knots. The revamped fold-out stairs now have closed backing behind the treads and a metal threshold replaces a carpeted step-in. A snubber cylinder drops the steps smoothly into place.
Most of the CJ3+’s airframe follows the earlier pattern. Because the NLF wing requires a super-smooth fit and finish to deliver optimum performance, the leading edge is anti-iced by hot compressor bleed air, not boots, with no detectable joint between ice shield and wing skin. The 20-degree swept horizontal stabilizer is booted, but the vertical fin requires no protection. The windshield is primarily protected by hot bleed air, backed up with an alcohol spray. Engine inlets are also bleed-air heated. The fuselage sits atop what is essentially a one-piece wing, faired by carefully-tailored fillets, carrying most plumbing and wiring outside the pressure vessel,
• • •TWIN & TURBINE
accessible through removable side panels for maintenance.
The CJ3+’s external and internal lighting has been converted to LED illumination, including the twin landing/recognition lights in the forward edge of the under-fuselage fairing, along with wingtip nav lights and strobes. Up forward, the 400-pound capacity nose baggage bin can hold four sets of standard golf clubs or the crew’s baggage (to keep it from going to the passengers’ hotel). Given the lighter avionics installation on the CJ3+, normal procedure is to place baggage in the nose first, for C.G. purposes.
The radome has only two visible fasteners; for secure servicing, the other hold-downs must be reached internally, through the avionics bay. The nose compartment has inspection points for the 50-cu/ ft standby oxygen bottle, back- up windshield deice alcohol, and nitrogen charge for the emergency gear extension and braking. Reimer said that he has never had to use the spray bar for the windshield, and the landing gear actually free-falls into place when initially released, with no N2 assist.
As with all CJs, the maingear utilizes a trailing-link design that
assures reasonable landings despite the pilot’s ineptitude. The gear, flaps and spoilers are powered by a central hydraulic system housed in the right lower fuselage fairing. Maingear tires are 22 x 7.75-10 size, nestled into open wells under the wing, spanning 16 feet. The nosewheel carries an 18 x 44 chined tire; the rudder- pedal steering allows 20 degrees of movement, and will caster up to 84 degrees with braking, so the lanky CJ3+ can maneuver in tight quarters.
The CJ3+’s wet-wing fuel tanks hold 703 gallons, serviced through ports near the tips; the CJ4, other the other hand, features single- point pressure fueling, among its other big-plane details. Fuel heaters obviate the need for anti-icing additives in the fuel. There is no fuel management unless crossfeed is selected. The ailerons feature a flow-control fence at their inboard ends, and a trim tab is found on the left aileron. Flaps are selectable in 15 and 35-degree detents, with a 55-degree lift-dump setting only available after touchdown, at which point the spoilers also deploy out of the top and bottom of the wings. The lower speedbrakes are perforated for greater effectiveness.
A huge 600-lb, 50-cubic foot aft baggage compartment, capable of storing skis, is reached through a door on the left side of the rear fuselage. The 44-amp NiCad (or optional lead/acid) battery and electrical junction box are behind the compartment and the engine fire bottle is in the overhead.
The impressive T-tail empennage towers over 15 feet above the ramp, and the Williams FJ44-3A engine nacelles are above head height; for preflight, the oil sight gauge is easily checked through a small door and the oil filter bypass pop-out is felt for its normal position. If oil is to be added, go get a ladder. The engines have no thrust reversers or attenuator paddles; the FADEC system allows for a lower idle that
MARCH 2015