Cessna employees mated the wing to the fuselage of the Citation Mustang prototype earlier this month. The entire process took less than 20 minutes. The wing-mate is the latest in a long list of program milestones for the company’s newest jet.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the outstanding progress of the Citation Mustang certification team,” said Cessna’s Chairman, President and CEO Jack J. Pelton. “We are eager for first flight.”
First flight is scheduled for sometime this year.
The Citation Mustang, Model 510, is one of three Citations not using legacy assemblies from other Citations (the original model 500 and model 650 did not use legacy parts).
Approximately 50 employees from Cessna’s Independence, Kansas, and Columbus, Georgia, facilities have temporarily relocated to Wichita to help build the first five Citation Mustangs. The five airframes are in various stages of assembly at Cessna’s Pawnee facility in Wichita. Once completed, three airframes will be used for flight testing and two airframes will be used for structural testing.
Static, cyclic, reliability and component tests will be accomplished at Cessna’s structural test facility in Wichita. Cessna has already begun testing on the Mustang engine, avionics and autopilot, landing gear, environmental system and flight controls.
The Citation Mustang is Cessna’s newest entry-level business jet. It will be certified as a FAR Part 23 aircraft, with a cruise speed of 340 knots and maximum operating altitude of 41,000 feet.
Cessna officials say the company has received more than 200 orders for the Mustang. Next available aircraft is the second quarter of 2009.