Photograph:
Eclipse Aviation Eclipse N651FC (c/n 000012) at Oshkosh, Wisconsin USA in July 2007 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Light executive jet aircraft
Power Plant:
Two 900 lbst Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofans
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 11.6 m (37 ft 9 in)
- Length: 10.2 m (33 ft 5 in)
- Height: 3.4 m (11 ft)
- Max cruising speed: 685 km/h (426 mph)
- Economical cruising speed: 528 km/h (328 mph)
- Stalling speed: 128 km/h (80 mph)
- Max rate of climb: 1,044 m/min (3,424 ft/min)
- Maximum altitude: 12,497 m (41,000 ft)
- Single-engine service ceiling: 7,620 m (25,000 ft)
- Max range: 2,408 km (1,496 miles)
- Take-off run: 714 m (2,342 ft)
- Landing run: 686 m (2,250 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 950 litres (209 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 1,646 kg (3,629 lb)
- Loaded weight: 2,719 kg (5,995 lb)
History:
The Eclipse Aviation Eclipse 500 was one of the first of what has become known as the Very Light Jet (VLJ) and incorporated technologically advanced systems which included electronic circuit breakers, enhanced avionics functionality, dual-channel FADEC and auto-throttle. Production of the new type began in 2006, the first aircraft being delivered on 31 December, and a total of 22 aircraft had been delivered by mid 2007.
The Eclipse 500 was the product of a design evolution which began with the Williams V-Jet II which was built by Scaled Composites in 1997 for Williams International. This machine was used as a testbed for a new Williams FJX-2 turbofan engine. Shown at Oshkosh that year, it had a forward-swept wing, a V-tail and twin engines. It attracted a lot of interest. Development proceeded and Eclipse Aviation offered the Eclipse 500 to the market. Very soon orders were received for 2,500 aircraft, and there was talk of up to 1,000 examples being produced each year.
Production took place at the Company’s production facility in Albuquerque in New Mexico, USA and was aimed at the private owner, charter and air-taxi role, being described as a luxurious six-seat twin-turbofan aircraft. It was able to fly to a maximum altitude of 12,497 m (41,000 ft) to avoid the most severe weather, and cruised at a speed of 685 km/h (426 mph) for a range of 2,408 km (1,496 miles) with four occupants.
The prototype, first flown in August 2002, was fitted with Williams EJ22 turbofans but in November that year the Company decided to fit the Pratt & Whitney PW610F unit, first flight with this engine taking place in December 2004. Provisional certification by the United States FAA was received in July 2006, and full certification was received in April 2007.
First major operator was DayJet, an air-taxi operator which had received 12 aircraft by September 2007. This company was said to have ordered 239 aircraft with 70 options. Other orders were placed by JetSet Air in the United Kingdom for 15 with 15 options and Linear Air in the United States with an order for 120 plus 60 on option.
First of the type in this region was imported in mid 2008 and this aircraft N580WC (c/n 000080) was operated in Queensland by Wanless Environmental Services Ltd from Archerfield. CoastJet of Port Macquarie, NSW ordered two Eclipse 500s for its operations but this company lost its deposit on the aircraft when the American manufacturer went into liquidation. In 2009, when the doors closed, the Company had completed 259 aircraft and another 230 were on the production line. Orders in the region of 1,000 aircraft were said to be held. A number of companies were said to be interested in acquiring the intellectual property and other assets of the Company, with plans to re-commence production in 2011. At least three examples operaate in Australia but all using their American registration.
On 1 June 2012 Eclipse Aerospace began production of the Eclipse 550, this new aircraft, based on the EA-500, being basically the same airframe, wing and Pratt & Whitney Canada 610F engine but having a number of cockpit enhancements including auto throttles, synthetic vision and redundant flight management. The first aircraft was expected to be completed in mid 2013 and the company announced it would commence with low-rate production, increasing to 50 to 100 aircraft during 2014, depending on market demand. Eclipse Aerospace took over a number of the original Company’s assets.
In mid 2015 Eclipse Aerospace merged with Kestrel under the name One Aviation, the aircraft produced by the new company becoming known as the Eclipse 550 and the Kestrel, the latter being a single-engine turboprop that had been developed over a number of years from the Farnborough F.1.
In mid 2016 Project Canada announced it was launching an upgraded version of the Eclipse 550 light jet with more power (Pratt & Whitney PW615 engines of 1,470 lbst), an extended range and touch-screen Garmin G3000 avionics.