Cessna Aircraft Co. received a Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) in December from the FAA for its Citation Mustang, a significant step toward certification and first customer delivery in late 2006.
TIA signals the FAA’s approval for the Mustang prototype to begin accumulating flight hours that will apply toward official certification.”Our goal for achieving TIA was January 2006, so we are pleased to receive this designation several weeks early, keeping us on schedule for certification and first customer deliveries,” said Russ Meyer III, Mustang program manager. The Mustang prototype and serial number one have made more than 290 flights, accruing more than 490 hours, he added.
The Mustang, announced at the 2002 NBAA convention, is slated to be the 27th airplane Cessna has certified in a decade, more than any other airplane company.
The six-seat business jet will be certified as a single-pilot, FAR Part 23 aircraft, with a cruise speed of 340 KTAS, and maximum operating altitude of 41,000 feet. Order book stands at 230.