Key milestones.1998 - Company founded
- Market research and conceptual design begun
1999 - Initial $60M private funding
- Site selection begun
- Full Board of Directors established
- Aircraft development program started
2000 - Cumulative investor funding = $120M
- Established corporate offices in Albuquerque
- Primary wind tunnel testing completed
- Friction Stir Welding evaluation begun
- Preliminary design completed
- FAA type certificate application filed
2001 - Cumulative investor funding = $180M
- All company functions relocated to NM
- Completed facility expansion and remodel
- Wind tunnel testing totals over 2,000 cycles
- SAP software selected
- Majority of suppliers selected
- Detailed design completed
- First metal cut for Eclipse 500
2002 - Integration test lab established
- FAA approval of FSW process
- Eclipse 500™ rollout - July 13
- First Eclipse 500 flight - August 26
- FAA ODAR designation awarded
- Pilot training program established
- After-sale support plans formulated
- Order book exceeds 2,000 aircraft
- Cumulative investor funding = $238M
2003 - Pratt & Whitney Canada selected as new engine supplier (PW610F)
- JAA type certificate application filed
- Cumulative investor funding = $326M
- Development flight testing completed
- Certification testing of components and systems
- Fuji Heavy Industries selected as wing supplier
2004 - Opened Friction Stir Weld Center
- Continued certification testing of components and systems
- Interiors and options announced
- Initiated construction of seven additional test aircraft
- Infrastructure for product support created
- 2 service centers announced - Albuquerque and Gainesville
- Flight testing of second aircraft, powered by PW610F engines, began on December 31st
2005 - Five FAA conforming aircraft in flight testing
- Static airframe testing complete
- PhostrExTM and JetComplete announced
- COO hired
- Albany, New York, selected as third service center
2006 - Awarded Robert J. Collier Trophy
- Ground breaking for Gainesville, Florida Service Center
- PW610F turbofan certified
- Eclipse 500 recieves Type Certification from FAA
- Ground breaking for Albany, New York Service Center
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