Eclipse Aviation News
“I applaud the Eclipse team, our investors, suppliers and partners for their steadfast dedication to realizing our dream of changing the way people travel,” said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. “What we accomplished today is now part of aviation history. Today we stand together, more certain than ever that the Eclipse 500 will forever change the landscape of transportation.”
The Eclipse 500 offers performance characteristics and economics that are enabling the creation of alternatives to today's commercial air travel system. The Eclipse 500 will allow travelers to fly point-to-point to more than 10,000 airports in the U.S. alone, ushering in an age where point-to-point private jet travel will be available to everyone at affordable prices. This will be a dramatic departure from today's commercial airline system, which forces 70 percent of all air travelers to pass through 29 increasingly crowded “hub” airports.
Flight-testing was conducted in a designated test zone located south of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The first test flight was designed to investigate basic maneuverability and allow for initial aircraft systems checking. The first tests occurred at 9,000 feet (2,743.2 m) where the flight crew successfully evaluated engine handling, aircraft stability and control, general flying qualities and systems performance.
The first flight of the Eclipse 500 marks the start of a 16-month testing program, involving eight test airframes. The flight-test program will culminate with FAA certification, scheduled to occur in December 2003.
“We completed all test conditions as planned and were very pleased with the results,” said Bubb. “The Eclipse team did an excellent job of building the aircraft. The quality is remarkable and the workmanship is outstanding.”
The Eclipse 500 is a six-person jet aircraft that sells for $837,500 (in June 2000 dollars). At this price, it costs approximately a quarter of today's small jet aircraft and will be significantly safer, easier and less expensive to fly. The Eclipse 500 flies 355 knots and can travel 1,300 nautical miles (about the distance between Boston and Miami) at a cost of approximately 56 cents a mile to operate.
First customer deliveries of the Eclipse 500 are scheduled to occur in January 2004.
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.