Climate Control System Designed for Reliabilty Landing Gear, Wheels & Brakes
Powered by twin turbofan engines designed specifically for the aircraft by Pratt & Whitney Canada, the Eclipse 500™ possesses a desirable combination of exhilarating power and exceptional safety. The PW610F is a new generation of medium-bypass turbofans, flat rated at 900 pounds of takeoff thrust to ISA+15°C. The PW610F-powered Eclipse 500 is the quietest business jet in the world and betters Stage 4 noise requirements by a 40 dB margin. The two-spool engine is controlled by a dual-channel full authority digital engine control (FADEC) to increase response and fuel efficiency and provide protection to the engine, all while reducing pilot workload. In addition, the Eclipse 500 possesses safety features unique to the industry: built-in automatic power reserve and highly effective PhostrEx™ fire suppression.
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The Eclipse 500™ features mechanically actuated primary flight controls employing a combination of pushrods, sectors, bellcranks, pulleys, and cables through inputs via the sidesticks and rudder pedals. All trims are controlled using brushless stepper motors that are electrically actuated utilizing alternate discrete inputs from Avio NG, a process that virtually eliminates the possibility of runaway trim. Wing flaps are Fowler-type, activated by four electro-mechanical smart actuators. An aural stall warning system alerts the pilot to an impending stall, and a stick pusher prevents the aircraft from reaching natural stall.
The wings and horizontal stabilizer leading edges feature a pneumatic boot de-icing system that automatically cycles, once selected by the pilot. The windshield is electrically heated. Air data probes—including dual pitot/AOA probes, pitot/static voting probe, and dual static ports—are heated by self-regulating electrical elements, and the engine inlets use engine bleed air to prevent ice build-up. An ice inspection light is located in the left wing root to assist the pilot in detecting ice build-up at night.
The Eclipse 500™ Electrical Power Distribution System (EPDS) is a 28-Vdc system powered by two 200-amp starter-generators and two 24-Vdc, 22-amp-hr lead acid batteries. Electrical power is distributed through five buses for redundancy and operational efficiency.
Five electronic circuit breaker units with 127 electronic circuit breakers (ECB) control and protect the EPDS. The ECBs provide tighter tolerances and more reliability than traditional mechanical breakers and function both as a breaker and as a switch.
Eclipse designed the Eclipse 500™ fuel system for efficiency, safety, and simplicity. All fuel is contained in the wings of the aircraft in a wet-wing fuel tank design. An integral fuel tank in each wing provides a total maximum capacity of 1,698 lbs. (251 U.S. gallons) of usable fuel. Gravity refueling is conducted at each fuel tank filler port located in each wingtip. Seven capacitance-gauging fuel probes and an optical low-level sensor in each wing provide exact accuracy of remaining fuel.
The Eclipse 500's fuel system uses motive flow and redundant engine and electric pumps to provide flow to the powerplants—an approach that virtually eliminates the possibility of trapping fuel. Fuel remaining is automatically calculated by Avio NG to supply precise range measurements based on fuel flow. Avio NG also manages the fuel system and even auto-balances fuel when it senses an imbalance.
Eclipse designed the Eclipse 500™ VLJ cockpit for safety through the redundancy of vital systems and its sheer ability to reduce the pilot's workload. Standard safety features rival those of aircraft costing millions more, and fuel, electrical, engines, environmental control, ice protection, flight controls, and pressurization are all managed and displayed by Avio's unique application of synoptic pages. The Eclipse 500's redundant flight management system includes an aircraft performance computer that performs electronic weight and balance. "Smart" electronic checklists coordinated with an intelligent crew alert system provide the ultimate in situational awareness. Backup instruments display critical flight information on the MFD, and both PFDs and the MFD have a composite mode that transfers all of its information to another display if required. The aircraft is, of course, Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) group certified.
The Eclipse 500™ climate control system features independent zone temperature controls for both cockpit and cabin. A vapor cycle cooling system containing an individual evaporator fan for each zone provides air conditioning. The Bleed Air Supply System (BASS) modules located in each engine pylon manage heating and windshield defogging. Cockpit and cabin temperature settings are selected by the pilot and are automatically regulated by Avio NG.
The oxygen system consists of a 22-cubic-foot cylinder located in the nose of the jet and includes a pilot quick-don mask and five passenger drop-down masks.
The cabin pressurization system automatically regulates a pressurization schedule, maintaining an 8,000-foot cabin at a 41,000-foot cruise altitude. A sea-level cabin can be maintained up to 21,500 feet MSL through manual control of the system.
Eclipse designed the Eclipse 500™ to operate for 2,000 hours per year while being easy and cost-efficient to maintain. We eliminated maintenance-intensive systems and use long-life parts instead of older technology typically found in jet aircraft. We leveraged digital technology by utilizing electrically powered and actuated systems with higher reliabilities and demonstrated effectiveness. These and other advances increase aircraft reliability and reduce aircraft downtime for both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance.
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The Eclipse 500™ features trailing link main gear and steerable nose gear to make landing and ground operations simple and smooth. And with smart actuators at work, landing gear operation is controlled electronically for the utmost in reliability. In case of emergency, a release lever between the pilot and copilot enables a mechanical freefall of the gear.
Eclipse designed the braking system for ease of use, with disc brake assemblies controlled via the toe brakes located on the rudder pedals.
The main landing gear features radial tires, and the nose gear has a bias-ply tire.