“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
—Paulo Coelho

There’s a new Eclipse jet in the sky, and it may just be the one everyone wanted in the first place. It’s called the EA-550, from Eclipse Aerospace, and it might be hard to distinguish from the original EA-500, but make no mistake, it’s a whole new airplane. It still has the same good looks and tip tanks that evoke memories of the early Learjets, but there’s one thing that jumps out, and that’s its size. Even compared to the early Lears, there’s no getting around it—the Eclipse jet is small. It takes up about the same space as a Beech Baron, yet it’s a six-seat twin-engine jet. Sure, it may be the smallest business jet around, but the story behind it is huge, and to fully appreciate the EA-550, you have to know something about its past.

The story of the EA-550 starts amidst the largest financial meltdown in general aviation history. The whole concept for the airplane started in 1998 when a former Microsoft executive, Vern Raburn, started Eclipse Aviation with the idea of a completely new class of very light jets, costing less than $800,000, designed around small, inexpensive Williams engines that were originally designed for cruise missiles. The goal of a simple-to-operate jet with six seats that can cruise at FL410, at speeds up to 375 knots with a range of over 1,100 nm, for a lot less than a million dollars was certainly compelling. The company spun a masterful story, projecting that with sufficiently low acquisition and operating costs, true point-to-point air taxi would compete with the airlines, eventually revolutionizing air travel and darkening the sky with very light jets. Sure, no one had ever sold a twin-engine jet at that price, so how could Eclipse pull it off? The answer was simple—volume. Investors and potential customers drank the Kool-Aid, and the idea of the VLJ as something truly revolutionary was born.

Raburn and his team raised a lot of capital and went to work. There were some very public teething problems as Eclipse worked from scratch to develop an all-new aircraft with new engines and a new avionics system. By 2006, the FAA finally issued a controversial provisional type certificate for the EA-500. In 2007, the company produced 104 aircraft. But only a year later, in 2008, financial reality and corporate mismanagement took down what turned out to be a house of cards. Suppliers went unpaid, employees were laid off, Raburn departed and, in November 2008, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Of the 260 aircraft produced, few—if any—were completely finished. Early aircraft were missing deicing capability, the avionics were incomplete, fit and finish was inconsistent, and other issues too numerous to list plagued the fleet. Criticism of the FAA grew to the point where the agency reviewed the certification of the Eclipse. Eventually, even the FAA itself underwent a congressional review over their handling of the certification process. The failure took down over a billion dollars in investor funds, and money owed to suppliers and deposits from customers. The dream had become a nightmare, and the smoking hole it left behind had a lasting impact on aviation. Even the term “VLJ” was stigmatized. Both Cessna and Embraer refer to their entry-level jets as “light jets,” and others working on single-engine jets call them “personal jets.” Pretty much no one uses the term “VLJ” anymore.

But, sometimes a dream is like football. It takes more than one player to get it over the line, and there were certainly a lot of folks who believed in the idea of the Eclipse Jet. After the meltdown, a new company called Eclipse Aerospace, headed by Mike Press and Mason Holland, purchased the assets of Eclipse Aviation in August of 2009 with the goal of fulfilling the original promise of the Eclipse Jet. Pulling a successful product out of the ruins of the former company was a massive challenge. Among other things was the fact that the aircraft was never completely finished. The avionics package was incomplete, suppliers had to be reestablished, a service network had to be built and current customer issues had to be addressed. In 2011, Sikorsky Aircraft became an equity partner, which helped ease financing and supply chain issues. It was a massive undertaking and now, only five years later, it looks like they’re well on their way to pulling it off. The new Eclipse 550 is refined, economical and has features only available in airplanes costing a lot more.

I’ve seen a lot of Eclipse Jets over the years, but I’ve never flown one, so I was excited to be invited to take a short test flight. I met Ken Oden and Iggy Burkhardt along with a brand-new Eclipse 550 at Ryan Field just outside of Tucson on an unusually blustery day in the desert. Up close, the fit and finish of the new 550 is impressive. All around, the paint looks first class, the seams are even, and the interior exudes quality. A close look at the nose reveals an unusual feature. There are two large oval areas surrounding the static ports (two on each side) painted with a rough antiskid-like material. Burkhardt explained that the paint is actually a icephobic material that prevents ice from forming anywhere near the ports. The two pitot tubes, located slightly lower on each side of the nose, actually contain the usual airspeed pitot and an airflow sensor used for computing angle of attack. Inside the nose, there’s a 10-inch radar antenna for the BendixKing RDR-2000 system, an emergency oxygen bottle and dual 24V, 22 A-H batteries. On the ground, one of the batteries runs the aircraft systems, and the other battery is used for engine start. In the event of the loss of both generators in flight, the batteries automatically interconnect to supply a total of 44 A-H of power for 60 minutes of emergency use.

Ken Ross, Eclipse Aerospace President, and Mike Vaupell, Director of Training, show off the new Eclipse 550 after our photo flight.

All of the position lights are LED, and the landing lights are high-intensity discharge lamps (HID) for long life. A quick look under the wings reveals beefy trailing-link landing gear. Passenger and pilots alike love the consistent, smooth landings that come with trailing link. Oden explained that the Eclipse is now equipped with a fully automatic antiskid braking system and new bias-ply tires that eliminate the problems with blown tires and rapid tire wear that plagued some of the earlier airplanes. Now, tires should last for “hundreds” of landings.

Step through the split-clamshell main cabin door into the cabin, and there are five comfortable leather passenger seats in a cozy forward-facing arrangement. All of the seats, including the two front crew seats, are mounted on floor rails that run the full length of the cabin to make it easy to adjust positions and to add or remove a seat, if desired. Behind the seats, in the rear of the cabin, there’s a dedicated netted baggage space that can handle up to 260 pounds of cargo in 16 cubic feet. Having the baggage space in the cabin makes it easy to access stuff in flight while the bags ride in warm, pressurized comfort. The standard five-seat configuration works, but Oden mentioned that with only two seats in back, the cabin becomes very spacious with even more room for bags. With an option for a maximum of six seats, there’s certainly a lot of flexibility depending on the mission. Along each side panel, there’s a recessed rail system for mounting cabin accessories, such as articulating iPad mounts. The dual-pane Lexan windows are large, and the cabin atmosphere is bright and pleasant.

Climbing into the cockpit requires a little dexterity, but it isn’t hard, and once seated, the cockpit is surprisingly spacious and quite comfortable. Visibility is excellent, and the new windshields are now a glass/Lexan laminate with electric defog/deicing panels imbedded in front of the pilot and copilot positions. On the panel, three large avionics screens dominate the space. Two large portrait-format PFDs sit in front of each pilot seat with a large 15-inch landscape-format MFD in between. The MFD splits information between four quadrants: one that’s fixed and three that can be user configured. Just outboard of each PFD, there’s a backup attitude indicator made by Innovative Solutions and Support (IS&S). These units are really mini-PFDs, displaying attitude, heading, altitude, airspeed and vertical speed. Oden explained that the pilot-side backup indicator is included as a part of the standard instrument package, but our airplane for the day included an optional second indicator on the right side.

The interior of the Eclipse 550 exudes quality. It’s spacious and bright, with comfortable leather seating.

One unusual feature is the tray-mounted miniature computer keyboards positioned below each of the PFDs. The keyboards are positioned to make data entry easy, but the keys aren’t arranged in standard QWERTY layout, so don’t expect to start touch-typing. Most FMS keypads are alphabetic, and it’s workable, but it’s not immediately intuitive—particularly when you expect something that looks so much like a keyboard to be “type-able.” The Eclipse is flown with side-stick controllers, and that really opens up the panel. Any Cirrus or Cessna TTx pilot will feel right at home with the side sticks, which contain a Coolie-hat trim switch, an autopilot disconnect button along with a PTT button. The sticks are angled inboard, and the armrest is positioned so that the stick falls right into your hand at just the right angle. The trim system is all electric with no physical trim wheels. To guard against motor failure, there are dual independently controlled pitch-trim motors and an “alternate trim mode” that allows three-axis trim control through the MFD.

The new Avio avionics system made by IS&S includes some advanced features. It’s easy to see the status of the smart power distribution system and all aircraft systems at a glance. Electronic circuit breakers are controlled through a screen on the avionics system—there’s no physical breaker panel. The synoptic displays are especially nice. They show the status of all fans, pumps, breakers, fuel levels and just about everything else a pilot might want to look at in a schematic format. It’s really well done. Weight and balance is done the way it should be on every airplane. Data entry is via a picture of the airplane showing all of the seats and baggage areas where data can be entered. The computer shows a plot of the CG diagram, and it computes and loads the appropriate speeds for takeoff and landing. It’s super easy and very intuitive—no manuals or paper are needed. Flight-plan entry is equally easy and similar to other FMS, and new dual IFMS allow data entry from either seat. The displays also include the capability for synthetic vision, as well has enhanced vision systems such as those using shortwavelength IR cameras for low visibility approach and taxi.

Engine start couldn’t be easier. Simply turn the engine control switch on the overhead panel to the “Start” detent, and monitor the gauges. The system is completely automatic, and you don’t even have to touch the throttles. It just can’t get any easier! Once everything is set up and you’re ready for taxi, ground handling is intuitive and easy. Taxiing with the pedals feels precise, and with a little asymmetric power combined with differential braking, it’s easy to castor the nosewheel for really tight turns.

We were cleared to runway 24 with the winds blowing 210/19G26. The max demonstrated crosswind component is 16 knots, so even though the conditions seemed a bit sporty, they felt completely manageable. For takeoff, we used a rotation speed of 88 KTAS. Lose an engine while still on the ground, and you stop. Lose an engine after rotation, and you simply climb at Vyse, which is about 110 KIAS. Holding the brakes and bringing the throttles full forward gives the PW610F engines a chance to come up to their full-rated power of 900 pounds of thrust. Once stable, releasing the brakes provides a slingshot-like launch with exhilarating acceleration. They may be baby turbofans, but coupled to an airplane with a maximum takeoff weight of only 6,000 pounds, the thrust-to-weight ratio of the Eclipse is higher than most other larger light business jets. At max takeoff weight, the Eclipse can clear a 50-foot obstacle in only 2,433 feet, and once airborne, the Eclipse delivers great climb performance. During the initial climb, we saw a little over 3,000 fpm, which, of course, slows as you get higher, but for such a small jet, this is great performance. Lose an engine, and a loaded Eclipse can still climb at 989 fpm under standard sea-level conditions.

For our test flight out of Tucson, we headed north to Flagstaff, turned east toward Williams and then headed back south to Ryan Field to provide enough time to sample the performance at a typical cruise altitude. ATC required a few level-offs for traffic during our climb, but it was obvious that a direct climb to FL380 could be done in less than about 25 minutes. Once level, the Eclipse gradually accelerated to an indicated airspeed of 191 KIAS, which yields a true airspeed of 363 KTAS, or 0.638 M, while sipping only 346 pounds of fuel per hour—total. That works out to only 51 GPH, which is fantastic economy for this speed. It’s important to remember that the performance of small turbofans is strongly affected by the air temperature at altitude. We were showing an OAT of -60C, which is ISA -2C, so the performance that we experienced should be pretty close to standard. The maximum speed of 375 KTAS will be achieved at FL 300, but unless it’s a short flight, that’s not where most operations will take place. At our cruising altitude of FL380, the cabin pressure differential of 8.2 psi provided a comfortable cabin altitude of 7,350 feet. At FL410, the cabin will go to 8,000 feet, which is typical for many light jets and still allows everyone to arrive feeling good after a long flight.

The descent back into Ryan Field provided an opportunity to sample one of the most exciting new features in the 550: the auto-throttles. The operation is pretty simple. You bug the speed on the airspeed indicator, and the throttles operate automatically to hold that speed. When I first heard about this feature, I was skeptical about how useful it would really be, but seeing it in operation completely sold me—particularly for single-pilot operations. One thing to remember is that when you’re flying a jet, ATC often expects that you have a helper in the form of another pilot on board. You can be barreling along at pretty high speed, and there are times when the pace of operations can become nearly overwhelming. With the auto-throttle, you just set the speed and move on to other tasks—it’s fantastic! The big limitation in the Eclipse is that the vertical navigation functions currently supplied by the Avio system are still relatively primitive. All you can do is enter a vertical speed. It does display target arcs to show where you’ll be at the bottom of the descent, but it’s not currently possible to enter crossing altitudes or to auto-load speeds from the database. Oden explained that a future software release is planned to address this issue. With the auto-throttle option, there’s tremendous opportunity to create an incredible, easy-to-use, fully automated system.

… There’s no getting around it—The Eclipse jet is small. It takes up about the same space as a Beech Baron, yet it’s a six-seat twin-engine jet.

As we approached the airport, we canceled IFR and took a little time to do some air work. The feel of hand flying the Eclipse is about what I expect from just about any jet in this category. The controls aren’t what I would call “light,” but they’re well harmonized. Steep turns are totally predictable, and slow flight is quite manageable. The Eclipse has a stick pusher to help protect against accidental stalls. When we configured for landing and slowed a little below the indicated stall speed, I couldn’t produce a buffet, or get the pusher to activate. Oden explained that since our weight was so low, the actual stall speed as determined by the AOA system was quite a bit lower than the fixed value shown on the tape. Still, it was impressive to see how well the Eclipse handled right above the stall speed. One other nice feature of the Eclipse is that there’s no VMC speed because the stall speed is always higher than VMC in any configuration.

The Avio avionics system presents navigation and systems information very clearly on three large screens. Single-lever throttles and data keyboards simplify operations.

As we turned back to the airport, ATIS was reporting winds 40 degrees across the runway at 23G30, but Oden didn’t hesitate to give me the controls for my very first landing in the Eclipse. As we approached downwind, we slowed to drop the first notch of flaps. It was quite bumpy as we crossed midfield and dropped the gear. The auto-throttles aren’t certified to operate with the gear extended, so turning final, I adjusted the power to slow to Vref, while bringing in the final notch of flaps for landing. It took a lot of rudder, but the Eclipse felt totally manageable in spite of the conditions and rewarded my efforts with a smooth touchdown. Did I mention how nice it is to have trailing link gear? Since the Eclipse can touch down and stop in only 2,790 feet, it can access a lot of airports too small for other jets. And, it sure is a fun airplane to fly!

After shutdown, I walked away from the Eclipse impressed by how far the company has come and by what a nice product they’ve produced. They certainly understand the importance of service and have established maintenance centers in San Diego, Chicago and Boca Raton, along with the factory in Albuquerque. SIMCOM can provide initial and recurrent training with a new level-D sim located in Orlando. In-aircraft training options are also available. Oden explained that customers range from private owners moving up to their first jet to flight departments with larger aircraft that need a more economical alternative for moving only a few folks at a time. At a base price of $2.895 million, the Eclipse is the least expensive jet on the market, and with operating costs of only $1.96/nm or $648/hr, it’s a viable alternative to many slower turboprops. For all of the existing customers and for the world of aviation, it’s certainly a good thing that this dream has finally come true.

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Eclipse 550
Engine Make/Model:	Pratt & Whitney PW610F
Thrust (lbf):	900
Fuel Type:	Jet-A
TBO—Hours:	3500
Standard Empty Weight:	3700
Max Ramp Weight (lbs.):	6034
Max T/O Weight (lbs.):	6000
Max Landing Weight (lbs.):	5600
Useable Fuel (lbs./gal.):	1698/252
Full Fuel Payload (lbs.):	636
DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Wingspan (ft.):	37.9
Overall Length (ft.):	33.5
Height (ft.):	11
Cabin Length (ft.):	12.3
Seating Capacity As Tested:	5
Cabin Width (in.):	56
Cabin Height (in.):	50
Baggage Volume (cu. ft.):	16
Maximum Seating:	6
PRICE/WARRANTY
2014 Base Price:	$2,895,000
Airframe Warranty (years):	3
Engine Warranty (years/hours):	3/1000
PERFORMANCE
Max Cruise Speed (KTAS):	375
Maximum Operating Vmo (KCAS:	285 KIAS
IFR Range w/ 100 nm, NBAA reserve (nm):	1,125
SL Single-Engine Climb (fpm):	989
Max Operating Altitude (ft.):	41,000
Max Cabin Differential (psi):	8.70
Cabin Altitude at FL410 (ft.):	8000
MGTOW Takeoff Distance To 50 Ft.:	2433
Landing Distance (SL @4,600 lbs.):	2790

The post Eclipse 550 appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

The world looks different from 41,000 feet. Climb to nearly eight miles above the sea, and you’ll note some dramatic changes compared to the view at lower altitudes. For one thing, the perpetual haze layer that plagues so much of the U.S. often becomes thicker and more opaque. If you look up rather than down, you’ll see a dark-cobalt sky, not the solid black the astronauts report on their journey to orbit, but a deep navy blue.

You’re virtually alone at this altitude. Many airliners can operate at FL410, but only after burning fuel load down for several hours. There are a number of corporate jets that can top 41,000 feet, but all are far more expensive than the Eclipse. Contrails are nearly always below you rather than above.

The Avio NG flat panel display before me suggests we’re cruising at 340 knots at this high station, well above most other traffic. As if in confirmation, a twin-jet contrail crosses our path 4,000 feet below. In the distance, I can see the snow-white spine of the Sierra Nevada reaching up for us and falling five miles short. Today’s ride is in Mason Holland’s Total Eclipse demonstrator, a fully completed version of the Eclipse 500, the primogenitor of the very light jet. In truth, the Eclipse created the VLJ market, and today, there are something over 250 of the type in the sky.

Eclipse almost single-handedly redefined the paradigm of “personal jet,” but the original effort wasn’t successful, through no fault of the airplane. In fairness, Eclipse was up against something of a perfect storm of circumstance in the first decade of 2000, a conspiracy of a fickle economy, unpredictable market forces, supply problems, technology challenges (Eclipse was the first to employ aluminum friction stir welding) and management missteps.

That’s all history. When CEO Mason Holland and his partners, Mike Press and Ken Ross, acquired the company out of Chapter 7 bankruptcy, they proved that aviation need not automatically eat its young. Today’s fully refurbished Total Eclipse is a well-finished machine, being marketed worldwide as the first of the VLJs. As mentioned above, Holland’s company, now renamed Eclipse Aerospace, prefer to call their airplane a “personal jet.”

At this writing, the Eclipse is the only real entry in the VLJ class, with something like 261 Eclipse 500s constructed, many of them parked at the Albuquerque manufacturing facility awaiting conversion to Total Eclipse configuration. Shortly after assuming control of Eclipse, Holland initiated a buyback program on the incomplete airplanes and is marketing them as remanufactured Total Eclipse 500s. In fact, there’s probably little to be remanufactured, as most of the aircraft have less than 300 hours on them.

At $2.15 million for a Total Eclipse, Holland’s company is offering the least expensive twin jet in the world by a wide margin. The Cessna 510 Mustang and Embraer Phenom 100 are the only models that come close to competing, and both those jets are much larger and notably more expensive, about $3.5 million for the Mustang and nearly $4.0 million for the Phenom 100.

Once the single-engine Cirrus Vision and Diamond D-Jet are certified, they’ll be serious competition to the Eclipse, both presumably at lower prices but with reduced performance. Jet engines aren’t very economical at 25,000 feet, the presumed max operating altitude for both models. The airplanes’ 1,900-pound-thrust Williams FJ33-4A-19 engine will burn something like 80 gph at FL250 and deliver a cruise just over 300 knots. Meanwhile, the Eclipse 500 is here and now. If you’d like to join the entry-level jet set, Mason Holland will configure a Total Eclipse in roughly 90 days.

Flight To 410
When I met with Eclipse demo pilot Matt Blackburn at Van Nuys Airport, north of Los Angeles, he was on a hectic schedule of demo flights, flying back and forth across the country, to show prospective buyers that the Total Eclipse is now a viable airplane.

Sitting on the ramp, the Eclipse looks about the same size as a Beech Duke in wingspan and length, but it’s slightly larger than most of the old cabin-class twins on the inside. The cabin is 55 inches across by 50 inches tall, reminiscent of the Aerostar, another airplane that frequently flew with the middle-row left seat removed for easier boarding. (The sixth seat is an option on the Eclipse, by the way.) All seats are now forward facing. Holland’s airplane should be very comfortable for its chosen mission, typically less than 800 nm. More on that later.

The Eclipse jet features an Avio NG integrated avionics system, with primary flight displays and QWERTY keyboards for both pilot positions, plus a large multifunction display at center panel.

Several years ago, the National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) surveyed members to determine the average number of passengers and the typical stage length. You might actually find the numbers surprising—a flight crew plus two passengers on trips of 700 nm or less. The Eclipse was apparently configured to meet those exact mission requirements.

Blackburn allowed me to assume the left seat and demonstrated a trick to get into the captain’s position. He reclines the left-front seatback full down, making it easy to step around the center console and settle into the chair.

Like most of the new generation of flat panel displays, the Eclipse’s Avio NG integrated avionics system looks intimidating at first glance, but familiarity breeds friendship. The jet is fitted with PFDs for both pilot positions plus a large MFD at center panel. I flew the airplane for about 1.5 hours, and some of the Avio NG’s operating procedures were starting to sink in. That’s obviously an important part of the transition training.

From the outside looking in, starting a jet engine always sounds complex, but on the Eclipse, it’s anything but. The Hispano-Suiza Canada FADEC system monitors all parameters during start-up and will automatically abort if any temperature becomes too far out of tolerance. Pilots used to advancing the appropriate condition lever to introduce fuel at exactly the right time, then, monitoring engine temps as they climb quickly after liftoff, won’t need to worry about that on the Total Eclipse. You turn a switch, and the appropriate engine starts automatically.

The current airplane has a max ramp weight of 6,034 pounds against an empty weight of 3,780 pounds on our test machine. That leaves a payload of 537 pounds with full fuel—a pilot and two passengers plus a few pounds of luggage.

Carrying full fuel means burning more fuel to lift the additional weight. For that reason, neither the airlines nor corporate jet operators tanker fuel they don’t need. If your stage length is 600 nm or less in an Eclipse, you could most often fly that trip in two hours. Matt Blackburn flight-plans for fuel burn of 500/400/300 pounds in the first, second and third hour of flight (at max cruise), so 2.5 hours endurance would demand only about 1,050 pounds, well under full fuel of 1,717 pounds. Leave 667 pounds of Jet A in the truck and you could fill the remaining three seats.

Takeoff is always more fun in a jet. The twin P&W 610F turbofan engines generate a collective 1,800 pounds of thrust, enough to provide a satisfying shove into the seat back when you bring the warp core online.

The Eclipse comes off the ground cleanly and starts uphill with no hesitation to catch its breath. Once you’re off the ground and cleaned up, you’ll see an initial 3,000 fpm climb. Accelerate to 180 knots, and the jet will still make 2,500 fpm or better.

For a three-ton airplane, the Eclipse maneuvers with the agility of a Pilates instructor. One owner analogized the Eclipse to “a Mooney with two jet engines.” Handling down low is quick and positive.

The airplane seems to almost mind-meld with the pilot, and while abrupt maneuvers seem inappropriate for an airplane designed to spend most of its life in RVSM airspace where all operations must be on autopilot, the Eclipse is a ball to fly.

Predictably, Los Angeles Center couldn’t give us an unrestricted climb to FL410, so we had to settle for three steps to the high ground. We finally reached max altitude over the Sierra Nevada and settled in for 20 minutes of cruise flight. I removed my headset for a few minutes to sample the noise level, and there was little more than a gentle hiss emanating from the twin Pratt & Whitneys back on the tail.

Buyers of turbine aircraft have a slight advantage over piston fans, as turbine manufacturers must guarantee their performance within established parameters. For that reason, I wasn’t surprised that the Eclipse hit all its performance targets on the mark. At FL410, we were leaving our contrail behind at 340 knots. Dropped down to FL360, speed worked out to 360 knots, about Mach .636.

Meanwhile, fuel burn was a relatively meager 59 gph total, confirming Holland’s claim that the Total Eclipse is the most economical jet above the planet. If you needed to stretch range, you could come back a little on the thrust and reduce burn to 48 gph, still truing 325 knots. At that rate, the Eclipse could manage well over 1,000 nm between fill-ups.

Many Eclipse operators will probably fly with two pilots, but that’s not necessary since the airplane is certified for single-pilot operation. There’s nothing difficult about handling in any mode, especially during approach. Stall speed is a slow 67 knots, only eight knots quicker than most single-engine turboprops, so approach speeds are remarkably low.

At our weight, final approach into Van Nuys worked out to 93 knots. That’s slower than typical bug speeds in a Cessna 421 or Aerostar. If you’re right on the numbers, the Eclipse can handle 3,000-foot runways with ease, and the trailing beam gear system is almost guaranteed to make anyone look like a pro.

In fact, virtually every aspect of flying the Eclipse is easier than operating a business twin such as a 421, Duke or Aerostar 700. The cruise speeds are typically at least 100 knots quicker, but the big numbers don’t manifest themselves until you’re at high altitude where they become little more than readouts on the Avio NG system.

On The Horizon
As this is written, Holland still has a number of ground-up Eclipse 500s available for build- up to Total Eclipse configuration at the aforementioned $2.15 M price. These include new paint and interior, FIKI (known icing) certification and a full factory warranty.

After the first of the year, the company will be returning to production, building the Eclipse 550, an updated version of the basic airplane. The 550 will utilize the same engines and configuration but will incorporate a number of operational updates. Performance will be the same as that of the 500.

Starting a jet engine always sounds incredibly complex, but on the Eclipse, it’s anything but. The FADEC system monitors all parameters during start-up and will automatically abort if any temperature becomes too far out of tolerance.

Autothrottles are a feature of turbine aircraft that have been around for longer than you might imagine. The Germans employed autothrottles on the first jet fighter, the Me-262, in 1944. As the name implies, autothrottles are essentially automatic throttle controls that operate in conjunction with FADEC to allow a pilot to command the engines to perform identical operation depending on the mode of flight.

Collectively, they allow the pilot to control engine power, usually by specifying either speed or thrust control.

The Eclipse is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW610F engines and cruises at 362 knots.

A pilot can select a desired speed, and the autothrottle system will hold that speed through all phases of flight, consistent with normal engine operating parameters.

A pilot may also command a constant thrust for a given phase of flight, such as takeoff, climb and cruise of descent, and the autothrottle system will regulate engine power for each mode. The benefits of such a system are reduced fuel burn and extended engine life while still operating within optimum temperature and pressure limits.

The new model will also feature a new avionics package, including dual integrated flight-management systems, synthetic vision and enhanced vision.

Synthetic vision is reasonably new technology that presents a real-time, GPS-based image of terrain, obstacles and airport features ahead.

Enhanced vision offers perhaps the ultimate Forward Looking Infrared that images heat rather than a straight optical image. It will, for example allow a flight crew to “see” a vehicle or deer crossing the runway ahead in zero-zero fog.

Holland commented there was nothing wrong with the existing Avio NG system, but incorporation of all the new avionics technologies demanded a little more microprocessor horsepower to power the redundant flight-management systems.

In conjunction with its business partner, Sikorsky Aircraft, Eclipse recently signed a contract with the Polish aerospace firm PZL to manufacture the fuselage and wings for the 550. PZL is a long-time Sikorsky contractor and has been producing the S-76 and Blackhawk helicopters for several years.

PZL will ship the components from its Mielec, Poland, plant, and Eclipse will assemble and finish the airplanes at its facility in Albuquerque. Holland said production rate will obviously depend upon the market, but he’s realistic about prospective sales.

“We hope to initiate production at four airplanes a month,” said Holland, “but we could ramp up to 10 a month if there’s strong demand.” List price for the Eclipse 550 will be $2.615 million.

In a sense, the promise of the first VLJ nearly a decade ago has been fulfilled. No one can guess if there’s truly a market for thousands of mini jets, but the Total Eclipse 500 has indeed redefined our vision of a “personal jet.” The upcoming Eclipse 550 should only strengthen that image as the leader in a whole new class of airplane.

The post The Little Jet That Can appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Eclipse 500
Engine(s) make/model:	Pratt & Whitney PW610F
Thrust (lbs.):	900 (2)
Fuel type:	Jet A
Max ramp weight (lbs.):	6034
Gross weight (lbs.):	6000
Useful load–std. (lbs.):	2220
Usable fuel–std. (gals.):	254
Payload–full fuel (lbs.):	537
Wingspan:	37 ft. 5 in.
Overall length:	33 ft. 1 in.
Height (ft.):	11
Seating capacity:	6
Cabin doors:	1
Cabin width (in.):	56
Cabin height (in.):	50
Pressurization differential:	8.25 psi
Cabin altitude (ft.):	8000 at FL410
PERFORMANCE
Max operating (Mach):	.68 (to FL200); .64 (above FL200)
Cruise speed–FL360 (kts):	362
Fuel burn (gph):	59
Best rate of climb, SL (fpm):	3314
Best rate of climb, OEI, SL (fpm):	910
Max operating altitude (ft.):	41,000
Vso (kts.):	69
Takeoff ground run. (ft.):	2345
Landing over 50 ft. (ft):	2250

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