Eclipse Update

[WillNotFly4Food]

This was in the recent issue of General Aviation News.

At a meeting that drew more than 300 Eclipse 500 customers and invetstors to Albuquerque Jan. 31, Eclipse Aviation revealed the Eclipse 500 jet will cruise at 375 kts (431 mph), an increase of 20 kts over the previous 355 kts (408 mph) max cruise speed.

Eclipse officials also told customers the company would deliver the aircraft at a firm price of $950,000 for customers with non-escrowed deposits and $975,000 for customers whose deposits remain in escrow. Eclipse’s current order book totals 2,102 aircraft priced at less than $1 million. Eclipse officials say they will sell and additional 100 aircraft at this price. Effective as early as serial number 1,553, the price will increase to $1.175 million for all new orders. The remainder of the 2,102 order book represents fleet customers with aircraft orders that will be delivered over several years. All prices are set in June 2000 economics.

While Eclipse CEO Vern Raburn told customers and investors a deal with a “world class” engine supplier is imminent, he declined to provide specifics. Late last year Eclipse ended its business relationship with Williams International, developer of the EJ22 turbofan, initially intended to power the Eclipse 500 jet.

Eclipse officials expect the aircraft will be certified in the first quarter of 2006. GAN

 

[Alchemy]

Sounds like they're still going strong. They had problems certifying the first prototype for single engine ops didn't they? Sorry to see that the First engine didn't work out for them, but hopefully they can get the program back on track with little delay.

 

[FlyChicaga]

P&WC PW610F To Power Eclipse 500

Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW610F turbofan engine will power the redesigned Eclipse 500, the two companies announced yesterday, ending nearly three months of speculation about how Eclipse would get the program moving again after dropping the Williams EJ22 late last year. Eclipse CEO Vern Raburn acknowledged that there have been some order cancellations, but he declined to reveal a number, pending the March 7 deadline for canceling. Eclipse is quoting a direct operating cost of 69 cents a mile (in 2000 dollars) with the new engines. Certification of both the Eclipse 500 and its PW610F engines is slated for the first quarter of 2006, and Eclipse expects to receive the first flight-ready engines late next year. The addition of tip tanks is among the changes that accompany the switch of engines, taking fuel capacity to 1,540 pounds. Rated at 900 pounds of thrust for the Eclipse 500, the FADEC-controlled PW610F will have a 14-inch diameter fan, versus 16 inches for the 1,350-pound-thrust PW615F destined to power the Cessna Mustang.