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.