The Citation Mustang has been designed for an era when VLJs could start to do for the private jet industry what Ford's mass production methods did for the widespread use of the previously exclusive motorcar. The Mustang is very much targeted at owner pilots, many of whom will expect comfort, performance and easy handling from what might well be their first jet.

While entry-level private jets will never rival cars in numbers, the Mustang is launching into a decade where the ownership of jets will become broader, deeper and more commonplace in regions including Europe, the Middle East and Russia.

Flying a jet will always require skill and concentration but experienced pilots report that Mustang designers and engineers have gone a long way towards achieving their aim of making piloting straightforward. Jane Howell has flown the Atlantic three times - most recently in a Mustang. The first flight, she reports, was scary; the second, challenging; but with the Mustang it was routine.

There has been a strong focus on achieving a low stall speed. The Mustang is reported to have achieved a stall speed related to weight that is even more favourable than that achieved for a CJ1. The designers also focused on tight control. A general rule of thumb in aircraft is that reducing ice accumulation increases controlla-bility. De-icing is achieved by pneumatic boots fitted to the wing leading edges and the leading edge of the fin and tailplane. The de-ice boots on the wing and tail work together as the de-ice system. Vortex generators installed on the wing de-ice boots enhance stall warning in icing conditions. Additionally, hot bleed air is used to keep engine inlets ice-free.

Ventral fins on either side of the tail cone increases the Mustang's normal tendency to pitch out of a stall. And the wing, which has an 11 degree sweepback on the leading edge and a straight trailing edge, uses an aerofoil that provides lift at low speeds but much less drag than might be expected at high speeds.

The performance is provided by a pair of twin spool turbine pylon mounted Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615Fs fitted with dual channel FADECs and each capable of up to 6.49kN of thrust.

Safety and straightforward piloting are high design priorities. Jane Howell, for instance, wanted the very best in an avionics package. The Mustang is fitted with the Garmin G1000 and the simplicity of display has been welcomed by pilots who have coped with far more cluttered arrangements.

The Mustang is fitted with an Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System (EICAS). There are prominent Master Warning and Master Caution lights immediately above the PFD that highlight any abnormality and the malfunction is displayed on the multi-function display. The single pilot can refer to the relevant diagnostics page on the MFD, download that information into a laptop and e-mail it to Cessna Field Service support.

VLJs are compact and it takes ingenuity to make them seem spacious. But the Mustang's cabin is ovoid with windows placed quite high to enhance views. Pilots will be glad that the Mustang has avoided the need for floor mounted columns to support the control yokes - they are designed as extensions from the panel.

The Flight Guidance Panel (FGP) houses all the autopilot controls and the flight guidance and autopilot modes are displayed prominently on the AFCS Status Box on both PFDs. Annunciations are displayed on the G1000 MFD.

The strategy is to leave switches, especially those that are rarely moved, at 'normal' setting: band them together in related sub-groups and site them all on the instrument panel and centre console. Colour coding helps identify some, such as the anti-ice.

The instrument panel is dominated by the huge centrally-mounted 38cm MFD with the pilot enjoying a large PFD. Though a co-pilot is not required for the Mustang, a third PFD is located on the right of the instrument panel. The console hosts the thrust levers, pitch trim wheel and co-located indicator flap lever. It also has the alphanumeric keypad for the FMS and the switches for the aileron and rudder trim.

The Mustang relies on completely mechanical primary controls. Aileron elevators and rudder are actuated by a combination of cables, push rods and bell cranks. But the yaw damper is electrically actuated and all primary trim systems are electric as well. An electrically actuated hydraulic power pack actuates the undercarriage and wheel brakes.

The fuel management is straightforward. The fuel is all in wing tanks and each engine is fed by the tank on the same side. Engine oil levels can be checked and topped up by people standing on the ground. The Mustang is designed to provide easy handling from take-off to landing, and if it is a first jet, to give the owner a good first experience with every incentive to trade up within the Cessna range.