First Jet Delivered To CA Dealer For Use As Demo
Just in time for
Thanksgiving, Cessna Aircraft Company delivered its first Citation
Mustang business jet Wednesday, following receipt of the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) production certificate (PC) for the
aircraft's Independence, KS assembly line.
The first Citation Mustang was delivered to Mustang Management
Group (MMG), based in Fresno, CA, which will allow Cessna to lease
the aircraft back for a period of ten months for use as a
demonstrator. MMG then plans to use the Mustang in its Scott
Aviation subsidiary for flight training.
The PC authorizes Cessna to produce, flight test and grant
airworthiness certificates for the Mustang. As Aero-News reported, full
FAA type certification (TC) for the Citation Mustang was awarded
September 8, making it the first in a new category of entry level
jets to receive a TC from the FAA.
"We are very proud to be the owners of the first Mustang because
we know the Mustang is an iteration of the most successful line of
business jets in the world, with the sales and support network to
stand behind it," said Kent Scott, president of MMG, Scott
Aircraft, and Scott Aviation.
"All of us at Cessna are ecstatic to have these two significant
milestones occur in one day -- the delivery of the first
Citation Mustang and the awarding of the FAA production
certificate," said Cessna Chairman, President and Chief Executive
Officer Jack J. Pelton. "Cessna and the FAA have been working
together for months, using our vast jet-building experience as a
foundation, and developing new, advanced production and tooling
systems to ensure an efficient ramp-up to full production."
The Scott Companies currently have fixed base operations at
Fresno International Airport and Fresno Chandler Executive Airport.
Their operations include fuel and maintenance services, aircraft
sales services, charter services, parts services and they are an
authorized Cessna Pilot Center flight school.
The first delivery to a customer who will put the Mustang into
regular service will be in the coming months. Cessna expects to
deliver 40 Mustangs in 2007, and production will ramp up through
2009.
The six-place Citation Mustang has a top speed of 340 ktas
(nearly 400 miles per hour), a range of 1,150 nautical miles (1,323
statute miles/2,130 km - NBAA IFR Reserves) and a service ceiling
of 41,000 feet (12,500 m).