Cessna Marks Recent Milestones for Citation Mustang

Paris,– Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, marks its return to the Paris Air Show with a number of milestones for its Citation Mustang, including European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification, steep approach certification and new customer deliveries.

The Citation Mustang is the first new-generation entry level business jet to be certified in Europe, and was the first to win full U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification.

“The Citation Mustang has met or exceeded every performance objective established when we announced the program in 2002,” said Cessna’s Chairman, President and CEO Jack J. Pelton. “The Mustang is proving its capability in the United States where several owner-operators are currently flying their new airplanes. We’re looking forward to starting deliveries of the Mustang in Europe later this summer.”

The Citation Mustang gained EASA certification last month, along with steep approach certification. This milestone enables the Mustang to land at airports with instrument approaches steeper than a 4.5 degree approach angle. Steep approach certification is the first step in the approval process at airports such as London City in England, which has a glide slope angle of 5.5 degrees, and requires special authorization through the airport administration for both the aircraft and the pilots landing there.

The Mustang achieved full FAA certification in September 2006 and deliveries began in November. Cessna has delivered eight of a total of 40 to be delivered in 2007. Cessna will ramp up production at its Independence, Kan., production facility to 150 Mustangs per year by 2009.

The six-place Citation Mustang has a top speed of 644 km per hour (nearly 400 mph/340 ktas), a range of 1,150 nm (2,130 km/1,323 statute miles – NBAA IFR Reserves) and a service ceiling of 12,500 m (41,000 ft).