The Four-Engined Cessna and Its Corporate Mission

Cessna’s predecessor to the Fanjet 500, the Cessna 620, never made it to market, but it proved a point.

Jason McDowell

Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at 09:21 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

In the late 1950s, Cessna developed the four-engine 620, its largest civilian aircraft, based on extensive market research identifying demand for safer, more comfortable, and all-weather capable corporate planes.
The Cessna 620 featured a pressurized cabin, four piston engines for perceived safety and high-altitude flight, and a spacious interior to meet executive comfort requirements.
Despite its innovative design and addressing market needs, the 620 program was canceled shortly after its maiden flight due to rising costs and the emerging threat of more efficient corporate jet aircraft like the Learjet.
The 620 remains a historical footnote, demonstrating Cessna's outside-the-box thinking while also serving as a precursor to the company's later, highly successful Citation series of business jets.

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The late 1950s were an exciting time for Cessna. Demand for general aviation aircraft was robust, and thus, the company invested significant resources into identifying and pursuing emerging markets. One such market during that time was corporate travel.

Corporate aviation had existed for decades, but the post-war environment rekindled the segment. A handful of companies converted larger, former military types into executive aircraft, but most new models under development—such as the Aero Commander 500 series and Beechcraft Queen Air—had relatively small cabins. Others, like the Twin Beech, were relatively slow and lacked pressurization. Cessna saw an opportunity.