The CJ series are powered by two Williams FJ44 engines; the design uses the Citation II's forward fuselage with a new carry-through section wing and a T-tail.

To better compete with newer jets, Cessna also wanted to eliminate the step in the center aisle of the earlier Citations, created by the spar passing through the cabin.

The jet uses the Citation II's forward fuselage, a new carry-through section, a new laminar flow, supercritical wing developed with NASA and Boeing, and a T-tail.

Powered by two 1,900 lbf (8.5 kN) Williams FJ44s, the 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) aircraft has a trailing link undercarriage for smooth landings, and can be flown by a single pilot.

[5] The CitationJet retains the 58 in (147 cm) inside diameter, circular fuselage cross-section of the Citation I and II, a semi-monocoque construction of conventional aluminum alloys assembled with rivets, fasteners and adhesive bonding.

To reduce interference drag, a large fairing encases the low wing center section, and the engines are mounted high on the tail.

The NASA high-speed 0213 airfoil sustains natural laminar flow over 30% of the upper surface for 10-15% better lift-to-drag ratio than the larger NACA 23000-series wing of the Citation I.