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Mustang Teaching Machine?

Flying the airplane is easy. Mastering the systems is the challenge.

Cessna chose a striking geometric paint scheme to emphasize that a buyer can specify a personalized design as an increment option on their purchase.

That's exactly the case with the Corvalis. As we were to discover later, a full 102 gallons provides excellent range, so it's probably not necessary to fill the tanks on every flight. Reduce the fuel load to 52 gallons, and you could still fly with two couples without exceeding the 700-pound max payload.

Custom Paint
The paint job on the test airplane was a non-standard geometric design that included several light colors, but I couldn't help noticing how well the stripes and shapes merge together beneath the clear coat. The striping is almost perfectly flush. There are no raised edges when you run your hand across the wing or fuselage surface. Of course, the Corvalis features all-composite construction, a smooth surface that lends itself extremely well to whatever paint design you wish.

To that end, Cessna offers an option of custom paint. Terry Shriner explains: "This is a high-end product, so one feature a buyer can specify is a personalized paint scheme and design. It's what we call an incremental option. We know what it costs to paint the aircraft, so if a buyer desires a special scheme, we calculate the additional cost over and above a standard paint job to keep the price as low as possible, consistent with meeting the production schedule."

Shriner says Cessna has examined a number of paint colors that work well on the heat-sensitive composite surface, based on solar reflectivity value, and they should be able to accommodate practically any request.

Inside the cabin, the Corvalis features leather-covered side sticks for roll and pitch control. Trim is via a conventional, Chinese-hat actuator that allows fast, accurate positioning. It's also a worthwhile benefit in the event of a control failure, as you could conceivably land the airplane with only the four-position trim control. Conceivably.
The TTx sports semi-Recaro-style leather seats that look as if they came straight out of a Carrera. The cabin measures 48 inches across by 49 inches tall, nearly the same dimensions as the old Piper Navajo Chieftain cabin-class twin. Rear seats are easily removable to allow a large baggage area in the rear. The overall impression of the interior suggests a strong Citation jet influence. All the little details are attended to with quality appropriate to an upscale, personal airplane.

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