Eclipse Aviation News
“We are consistently blown away by this incredibly committed group of suppliers,” said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. “It is no small feat to create a new category of jet aircraft and do it in a way that challenges nearly every traditional aviation practice. These suppliers have risen to the challenge and been instrumental in helping us achieve our goal of resuming flight test of the Eclipse 500 by the end of this year. It is a pleasure to recognize and celebrate their stellar performance.”
As of October 1, 2004, Eclipse had seven pre-production test aircraft in manufacturing and had completed all friction stir welding on the first flight test aircraft that will fly with the PW610F engines.
The Eclipse 500 suppliers that received awards from Eclipse Aviation today were:
-Aikoku Alpha Corporation (Aikoku), located near Nagoya, Japan, is manufacturing the wing ribs for the Eclipse 500.
- Argo-Tech Corporation, located in Orange County, CA is supplying the fuel system for the Eclipse 500.
- FreeFlight Systems, located in Waco, TX, is the manufacturer of the Global Positioning System for the Eclipse 500 aircraft.
- Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd., (FHI), located in Utsunomiya, Japan, manufactures the complete wing assembly for the Eclipse 500.
- Novakinetics, based in Flagstaff, Arizona, manufactures the engine nacelles and pylon skins for the Eclipse 500.
- Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC), located in Longueuil, Quebec is developing the PW610F engine that will power the Eclipse 500.
- Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, located in Ravenna, OH is fabricating the nose radome for the Eclipse 500 aircraft.
- WaterJet Cutting Incorporated, located in Albuquerque, NM, has been providing manufacturing support for the Eclipse 500 pre-production activities.
Tonight Eclipse will host an exclusive dinner for today's supplier awards recipients. Following this year's special pre-production awards, Eclipse Aviation plans to establish an annual supplier awards program that will recognize supplier dedication and commitment to the Eclipse 500 program.
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.