The Eclipse VLJ 500 -
one of the new microjets
The Eclipse 500 is powered by two
lightweight Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofan engines. It is slated
to be the first of a new class of business jet known by the
acronym VLJ or Very Light Jet.
Manufactured by Eclipse Aviation based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the
Eclipse 500 is undergoing testing to receive FAA certification by the
end of June 2006. The company hopes to reach customers by late 2006, at
an initial cost of around 1.5 million USD, far lower than existing
business jets. |
Eclipse Aviation E500 VLJ
|
The Eclipse
500 has received close to 2500 orders worldwide and by 2008 plans on
making four aircraft a day. DayJet is going to be the largest customer
with around 250 aircraft operating in an 'air taxi' role. Aviation
analysts remain somewhat doubtful whether the company's aggressive sales
and production targets will be feasible.
Eclipse 500 VLJ News
WASHINGTON (AP) July 26 A new light,
cheap and fast jet is expected to be certified for flight Thursday.
Eclipse Aviation's E500 will be the first "very light jet," or
VLJ, to receive a provisional certification by the Federal Aviation
Administration. Thousands more are expected to take wing over the next
decade.
July 27, 2006 - WSJ. Eclipse's Microjet Draws Nearer To FAA Approval.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - May 02, 2006 —
Eclipse Aviation Corporation today announced that early Eclipse 500
tests indicate the breakthrough very light jet (VLJ) will exceed the
company's already aggressive expectations for low aircraft noise, engine
smoke emissions and cabin sound.
From the outset, Eclipse committed to meet Stage 4 aircraft noise
standards - the newest and most stringent noise requirements for jets.
While this would require the Eclipse 500 to operate at or below a
maximum noise range of 88 decibels (dB) for the approach point, testing
to date shows that with an average maximum noise range of 68 dB on
approach, the Eclipse 500 noise signature is multiple orders of
magnitude less than this limit. This means the Eclipse 500 will be
significantly quieter than the majority of piston aircraft flying in and
out of today's airports.
DayJet
Inc. of Delray Beach expects to launch on-demand charter jet
services among five undisclosed cities in
the Sunshine State in the last quarter of this year with its first
Eclipse 500 jets.
Eclipse 500 Test Fleet Tops 2,000
Flight Hours
Eclipse Aviation now has six customer
aircraft on the production line as test fleet nears completion of FAA
certification testing
ALBUQUERQUE, NM - May 30, 2006 - Today Eclipse Aviation, manufacturer of
the revolutionary Eclipse 500 very light jet (VLJ), can see FAA
certification on the horizon as the Eclipse 500 test fleet has exceeded
2,000 flight hours and completed the majority of required FAA
certification testing. The company also announced that six customer
Eclipse 500 VLJs are in various assembly positions on the production
line. The Eclipse 500 is on track to achieve FAA certification by the
end of this quarter and will be the first VLJ to market.
"Our test fleet of five Eclipse 500s continues to burn test points and
build hours at a rapid rate. We accumulated more than 300 flight hours
in the last four weeks," said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse
Aviation. "I am also thrilled to see the production line coming to life.
Last weekend, the first customer Eclipse 500 forward fuselage was mated
to the aft fuselage." |