Party In Wichita

By ANN Contributor Ian Blair Fries, M.D.

Prospective owners and invited guests were treated to a ceremonial first flight of the Cessna Citation Mustang Friday amid a party atmosphere. The "BBJ" (Baby Business Jet) has already flown 50 hours since April 23, 2005 when the true first flight occurred.

Cessna chose to not announce the flight widely until it had landed. That landmark flight was about two months earlier than Cessna originally projected, and thus the first Mustangs should be delivered to customers as scheduled in the last quarter of 2006 - or perhaps sooner.

The milestone has significance for Cessna as well as those with orders. After the first flight, prospective owners had to increase their deposits by $100,000.00. 

The 2.3 million dollar jet will fly at 340 knots to Flight level 410 with an 8,000 foot pressurized cabin. Powered by two Pratt and Whitney PW315F fan jets delivering 1350 pounds of thrust each, maximum airspeed is projected at 340 knots at Flight Level 310. The cabin contains four seats in club configuration, and a side seat opposite the entrance hides a removable potty. There will be separate environmental controls for the cockpit and the cabin. The plane will be certified for single pilot operation.

The panel will be all glass, using two large and one gigantic Garmin 1000 flat screens. Cessna already uses the two screen model in its newest single engine aircraft, but this will be the first three-screen application. The aircraft will be RVSM certified, as required for flight above 280. This implies dual and very stable altimetry, dual air data computers, and a very stable autopilot. Garmin is supplying the autopilot, and although new to the autopilot business, Garmin expects to have autopilots in several Raytheon products flying before the Mustang.

The Garmin system is planned to include XM weather downlink, their own brand of radar using a 12-inch dish, and interfaced with Stormscope and traffic avoidance systems. There will be future provision for electronic enroute charts and approach plates.

Engine control will be by single power levers and FADEC, making engine management close to automatic. Idle thrust is being adjusted so no thrust deflectors are needed on the ground - as in the CJ's. Antilock brakes, and a slow landing speed (for a jet) obviate the needed for thrust reversers. Speed brakes are projected to be usable in all flight regimens including use during very steep approaches to landing.

The test pilots indicated very little trim change is needed with even full landing flaps. The plane has already been shown stable without a yaw damper, but such will be installed. It has not been determined if the yaw damper will be full time, will be turned off for landing, or will be optional for landing.

Cessna projects over half of its current orders are by pilot owners. As with all projected VLJ's (Very Light Jets) there is concern whether novice jet pilots will be trained adequately. Cessna has taken a very conservative route not reinventing the wheel. Training will be by Flight Safety, following curriculum similar to those currently used to school other model Citation crews and single pilots. Cessna does not believe training needs to be addressed differently than their other jet aircraft. FAA type rating standards are a high hurdle, and should insure Mustang pilots are well prepared to operate their aircraft safely. 

Engine specifics - fuel burn, operating limitation, etc, have not been released by Pratt and Whitney or Cessna. These numbers will impact range and the utility of the aircraft. 

The event Friday began with 6 P.M. presentations by Roger White, Russ Meyer III, and Steve Saflin outlining the Mustang program they headed. Announced at the NBAA meeting in 2002, by the end of that meeting they had 200 orders, and Cessna now has deposits on 240 aircraft. 

Cessna has manufactured more than 4,200 Citation Jet aircraft, and certified 11 planes in the past 10 years.  (The CJ1+ was just certified last week.) They tout this as evidence the Mustang will be delivered as promised and on time. So far they are doing better than promised.

The plane will be manufactured mostly in Independence Kansas, and delivered to customers there. The empennage will be manufactured in Columbus, Georgia. 

After an introduction by Jack Pelton, Cessna CEO, the Mustang prototype was prepared for takeoff, as all were invited outside on the ramp to watch the ceremonial first flight. This was actually the 50th flight as the prototype has already accumulated 90 hours.

The PW615F engine has accumulated 119 flights and 230 hours on a test bed Citation. Reliability testing is 65% competed, ultimate static load test completed, and the plane is into stall series and flight vibration testing currently.

The Mustang prototype flew three low passes over runway 19L at Wichita Midcontinent Airport, and was accompanied by two other Citations on the last pass. After landing, the Mustang was towed into the hangar for photographs and close inspection by partygoers. The plane has been painted, so the exterior looks like a production aircraft, but the test aircraft's interior is utilitarian. A nearby full scale mockup allowed Cessna's guests to see a cabin furnished as the jet will be delivered.

The party ended with a Champaign toast to the Mustang, Mustang management, flight test crew, engineers, and all who had made the exciting project possible.

FMI: www.cessna.com