The wing mating of Cessna’s first Citation Mustang is the latest step the company has accomplished in bringing the type to market. Approximately 50 Cessna employees from the company’s Independence, Kan., and Columbus, Ga., facilities have temporarily relocated to Wichita to help build the first five Citation Mustangs. These five airframes are in various stages of assembly at Cessnas Pawnee facility in Wichita. Once completed, three airframes will be used for flight testing and two airframes will be used for structural testing. The airframe has exceeded our expectations, said Bill Rhinesmith, Mustang airframe supervisor. The team’s early design coordination has resulted in a great fit and finish on the prototype aircraft. The successful wing mate is just the latest example of a plane that is coming together as designed. Static, cyclic, reliability and component tests will be accomplished at Cessnas structural test facility in Wichita. The Citation Mustang was announced at the 2002 National Business Aviation Association convention. Cessna has received over 200 orders for the Citation Mustang, and the next available aircraft can be had in the second quarter of 2009. Cessna anticipates the type’s first flight in 2005.
