Eclipse Aviation News
At 12:55 p.m. (MDT) today, aircraft N502EA, powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PW610F turbofan engines, took off from the Albuquerque International Sunport for a flawless flight that lasted one hour and 30 minutes. The aircraft, which was piloted by test pilots Ed Grabman and Brian Mathy, successfully completed all tests including handling qualities at various flap settings, flap and trim operations, cabin pressurization and electrical system testing. The flights were conducted in a designated test zone located south of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Eclipse Aviation president and CEO Vern Raburn, who last week piloted aircraft N503EA for the first time said, “As the VLJ market pioneer, we never stop pushing ourselves to achieve the critical industry firsts that position us to deliver on our promises to customers, investors and each other. With this major milestone under our belts, we are primed to continue to accelerate the pace of our Eclipse 500 FAA certification program. Most importantly, we are one big step closer to our ultimate goal of delivering the Eclipse 500 to our customers so that they can experience this incredible aircraft for themselves.”
During N502EA's first day of flight testing, the pilots climbed the aircraft to 15,000 feet and reached 160 knots. Like Eclipse's first flight test aircraft, N502EA is fully equipped with mechanical systems including pressurization, climate control and ice protection as well as with the Avio Total Aircraft Integration system. This aircraft will be used to test aerodynamics and structures, with early tests examining air data calibration, flight envelope expansion and flutter tests. Testing will then transition to focus on handling and performance, stalls and flight strain survey. N502EA features special test equipment including a nose-mounted air data boom, flutter exciter system, pilot egress system and stall chute.
N502EA joins N503EA, which has been in certification testing since December 31, 2004. Since April 1, N503EA has amassed 23.3 hours in 18 flights, for a total of 41.3 hours of flight time. Last week, the aircraft climbed to 30,000 feet for the first time, demonstrating excellent handling characteristics.
Eclipse 500 Test Aircraft Fleet
Eclipse is manufacturing seven preproduction aircraft: one static test airframe, one fatigue test airframe and five flight test aircraft. The remaining three flight test aircraft are in final assembly positions and will join N502EA and N503EA in the air over the next few months.
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.