Cessna ends Mustang light jet production

Production of the final Citation Mustang has been completed, and the aircraft will be delivered in the coming weeks, Textron Aviation said in a news release that assured customers of continued product support through the company’s customer service organization.

The company was poised for “a seamless transition within the light jet segment” with the Cessna Citation M2, that was introduced in 2011, filling a gap between the Mustang and the Cessna Citation CJ line.

The five-passenger, single-pilot-certified, 340-knot true airspeed Mustang, designated Cessna 510, “proved to be an incredible success for our company and our customers, and we’re thrilled to celebrate the ingenuity and pride that went in to creating the world’s most popular entry-level light jet,” said Rob Scholl, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

“We remain dedicated to developing new products and providing solutions that matter to our customers. The Citation M2 is a great example of this and we believe it will carry on the legacy as the entry-level jet that pilots want and need.”

A news report said the end of Mustang production in Independence, Kansas, followed sales declines suffered as a consequence of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, but noted company assurances that job cuts would not result at the Independence factory, or at Textron facilities in Wichita.

In August 2010, AOPA reported that 75 Mustang production workers were laid off as softness in demand for the Mustang caused Cessna Aircraft to re-evaluate its production planning for the aircraft that features an 8,645-pound maximum takeoff weight, a maximum range of 1,200 nautical miles, and “exceptional” short-field performance.