Citation Mustangs First Flight Is A Success
Not too be left out of the foregoing list of initial test flights and customer deliveries, Cessna last month celebrated its own first: the first flight of the Citation Mustang, the company’s entry in the upcoming very light jet (VLJ) sweepstakes. Piloted by Scotty Jergenson and Dave Bonifield, the Citation Mustang prototype made a 141-minute flight during which various stability and control tests were performed, including cycling of the landing gear, flaps and speed brakes. The flight departed from McConnell AFB and concluded at Wichitas Mid-Continent Airport. The Citation Mustang was announced in 2002 and will be certified as an FAR Part 23 aircraft, with an anticipated cruise speed of 340 knots and a maximum altitude of FL410. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F dual-channel FADEC engines, each providing 1350 pounds of thrust, and features a fully integrated, all-glass Garmin International G1000 avionics suite.
Not too be left out of the foregoing list of initial test flights and customer deliveries, Cessna last month celebrated its own first: the first flight of the Citation Mustang, the company's entry in the upcoming very light jet (VLJ) sweepstakes. Piloted by Scotty Jergenson and Dave Bonifield, the Citation Mustang prototype made a 141-minute flight during which various stability and control tests were performed, including cycling of the landing gear, flaps and speed brakes. The flight departed from McConnell AFB and concluded at Wichitas Mid-Continent Airport. The Citation Mustang was announced in 2002 and will be certified as an FAR Part 23 aircraft, with an anticipated cruise speed of 340 knots and a maximum altitude of FL410. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F dual-channel FADEC engines, each providing 1350 pounds of thrust, and features a fully integrated, all-glass Garmin International G1000 avionics suite. When we initially entered the business jet market, we expanded the market by providing customers with an entry level jet that was quieter, simpler, safer and less expensive than any other business jet on the market at that time, said Jack J. Pelton, Cessnas chairman, president and CEO. The Citation Mustang builds upon this legacy and opens the base of the business jet market further than before. The Citation Mustang prototype is one of three airframes dedicated to certification efforts and will be used primarily for aerodynamic and system tests. The first production Citation Mustang (serial number 001) will be used for avionics development and certification.
