Eclipse Aviation News
FAA approval of this process specification, in conjunction with the receipt of the Eclipse 500 type certificate, will allow Eclipse Aviation to build production aircraft using friction stir welding. The friction stir welding process specification details the procedural requirements, quality assurance provisions, standards for tooling and material preparation necessary for the use of friction stir welding in the assembly of aircraft.
“This achievement is the result of a truly collaborative relationship with the FAA and I am proud of the groundbreaking work our team, lead by John McCoury and Brent Christner, has done in conjunction with the specialists at the FAA, especially Joe McGarvey, fatigue specialist and Bob Eastin, national resource specialist,” said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. “This is another critical step in our mission to certify the Eclipse 500, an aircraft that will enable the creation of a personal air-taxi industry that will make private jet travel affordable for commercial air passengers everywhere.”
Friction stir welding will replace more than 60 percent of the rivets on major assemblies of the Eclipse 500 jet including the cabin, aft fuselage, wings and engine mounts.
Friction stir welding is highly automated and significantly faster than other structural jointing processes. It enables the drastic reduction in aircraft assembly time and eliminates the need for thousands of rivets resulting in reduced assembly costs, better quality joining and stronger, lighter joints.
This advanced manufacturing process is just one of the innovations being used in the creation of the Eclipse 500 jet.
Eclipse Aviation is in the business of designing, certifying and producing modern, affordable jet aircraft that will revolutionize the transportation market. The company is applying advanced electronics systems, manufacturing and business practices to produce aircraft that cost less than a quarter of today's small jet aircraft, will be significantly safer and easier to operate than those of today, and have the lowest cost of ownership ever achieved in a jet aircraft.
The goal of Eclipse is to bring the word "personal" into aviation, making it possible for commercial air passengers to move directly between cities on a quick, affordable and convenient basis. It will also allow pilot owners to enter the world of jet-powered aviation.