Citation CJ-3 and Citation Mustang Announcement Drew a Huge Crowd

Before the big announcement yesterday morning, Cessna's marketing genius Phil Michel (with briefcase; and note draped CJ-3 in background) looked happy and confident. He knew what was to come in less than an hour.

When the time came and the crowds gathered, Cessna CEO Russ Meyer just had to let us all know how successful the launch of the Citation CJ-3, just a few days earlier, had gone. Although, of course, a lot of the legwork had been done all summer long, it's always impressive when a new model sells.

At the NBAA convention, Florida GA's answer to Farnborough, Mr Meyer let us all know that the new CJ-3 (right) has booked 148 orders in its brief public life. [That includes 50 to NetJets, which also holds 50 options; and 25 to Citation Shares --ed.] The CJ-3, in case you missed its announcement, is the longest-range, fastest CJ ever.

The crowd was also treated to an unveiling of the CJ-3's impressive avionics suite; and it's a shame nobody noticed.

Cessna's 1,000,000th customer, a current CJ owner who has put his money down on a new CJ-3, was introduced. Mr. Juan Jose Bermudez and his wife Ann were quite gracious, before the anxious crowd.

The real treat was the tiny fuselage, conspicuously draped, and sitting in the Cessna exhibit. This little machine, as our near-instant coverage told you, is called the Citation Mustang. Russ Meyer made a quick speech, the drape was pulled back over the top, and the well-appointed little display tube stood there -- to tremendous applause.

Marketing

The videos (there are several) all play to the same emotion: jet lust. Owners of older cabin-class turbine singles, or early-tech twins, beware: jet lust will get you. That's Phil's idea, of course. Cessna just couldn't sit around and watch Eclipse and Vern Raburn rack up two thousand sales -- so it came out with a direct competitor. OK -- it's awfully close, anyway.

Comparisons are impossible. So, here goes:

Both Eclipse and Cessna now have their gloves off, with their new one-pilot machines. Eclipse, of course, points out that its machine has already flown, and that it costs roughly a third the Mustang's price. Since both machines' performance envelopes are really quite close on paper, additional factors must come into play.

Both machines will feature state-of-the-art panels, with great situational awareness built in. The Eclipse has a lot of integration built into its circuitry, though, that nothing short of an airliner has; and it's too early to tell where Cessna will go to answer that technology breakthrough.

The Cessna mockup (right) is perhaps a sliver sweeter-appointed -- but the Eclipse isn't going to bring back anyone's childhood memories of pedal cars, either.

The Mustang is a little bigger inside -- it's a bigger airplane all over, with unspecified, FJ-33 class engines. That probably will also translate into somewhat higher operating costs; but these newest-generation jets will both sport the best in efficiency, and will both cost less to operate than many (even piston) twins.

Eclipse is showing off its first flight as evidence that its projected delivery date of 2004 is achievable. Cessna has been delivering airplanes since August 13, 1927, and notes that their demonstrated on-time delivery record is awfully, awfully good. One of Cessna's videos ends thus: "This is your moment. This is the future. This is our promise: sure thing."

Assuming the Mustang and Eclipse deliveries are on time, the Eclipse will have the Cessna beaten by a good two years. The Mustang should be in the first customers' hands at the end of 2006.

Sales

The Mustang, as we mentioned in yesterday's article, had sold 80 copies between Sunday night (when it was shown to a small, hand-picked group of customers) and the Tuesday morning announcement. By 11AM, there were a hundred, $10,000 deposits on the cabin-class six-seater (six, including pilot). It didn't stop then. There were so many people trying to buy positions in line with their $10,000 deposits, Cessna literally had to get the customers to stand in line, as they ran credit card after credit card through the machine they had fortunately remembered to bring to the show. By 2PM, when we again talked with Phil, he didn't wait for me to ask. He just said, "200 so far." Even if there are a few speculators in there, the $2 million in deposits ought to buy everyone on Phil Michel's team a big, fat cigar.

FMI: www.mustang.cessna.com