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 launched the four-engine, pressurized 620 corporate aircraft based on extensive market research identifying needs for safety, comfort, and all-weather capability.
The Cessna 620 was the company's largest civilian model to date, featuring innovations like a tall cabin for passenger comfort, an auxiliary power unit (APU) for cabin pressurization, and a four-engine configuration for enhanced safety.
Despite a strong design and successful maiden flight, the program was canceled in 1957 due to escalating costs ($375,000) and the emerging threat from more advanced corporate jets, which signaled a shift in market preference.
The 620 remains a historical footnote, with its cancellation potentially allowing Cessna to reallocate resources that contributed to the 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.