The VLJ Revolution Continues With The Total Eclipse!
In September 2009, Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. (EAI) embarked on a
mission to finish the design and promised capabilities of the
breakthrough Eclipse 500. Since acquisition of the company, Eclipse
Aerospace has been investing in, and completing the design and
certification of, the original EA500 jet, which now includes FIKI
(Flight Into Known Icing) and GPS coupled autopilot.
"Leading the way to a new generation of aircraft, the EA500 is a
sophisticated, high-performance, economic twin jet with low
operating costs, low environmental impact and uncompromised
safety," said Mason Holland, Chairman and President of Eclipse
Aerospace. "In their rush to deliver the aircraft, the former
manufacturer of the EA500 [Eclipse Aviation Corporation] delivered
to owners an aircraft that was only about 85 percent complete.
These aircraft were great performers, but still lacked several
important features. We now have completed the design and
engineering of the EA500."
EAI calls this completion of the EA500 the Total Eclipse®.
Total Eclipse program customers can buy a fully configured EA500
aircraft that encompasses all currently available features and
functionality, including flight to 41,000 feet, 20,000 cycle
airframe life, an on-board color radar, electronic moving maps and
eCharts (Jeppesen) all presented directly on the EA500
multifunction display.
Every Total Eclipse, priced at $2.15 million, also includes a
factory warranty. For a limited number of "early buyers" each Total
Eclipse purchase also comes with a guaranteed buy-back provision.
With this guarantee, EAI will agree to repurchase the aircraft for
a guaranteed amount which can be applied towards a first year
production slot when EA500 manufacturing resumes.
"The Total Eclipse program is the most comprehensive and
important action we have taken to date as we expand our support for
EA500 owners," said Holland.
"The people who own and fly the initial fleet of 260 EA500
aircraft are the innovators of the very light private jet aircraft
market. They have recognized the great performance, unparalleled
value and high utility of this fantastic jet. We are proud that
with this new release, Eclipse Aerospace is delivering on the full
promise of the Eclipse 500."
Did Ya Know? (Cool Facts About
Eclipse Aerospace)
- Standard features on the Total Eclipse include flight to 41,000
ft, FIKI, GPS coupled auto-pilot, and dual-Garmin display of moving
maps and Jeppesen charts.
- The Eclipse 500 was the world’s first Very Light
Jet.
- The Eclipse 500 is the most fuel-efficient twinjet in the
world.
- The Eclipse 500 uses PhostrEx,™ a fire suppression
technology not only more effective than any existing system, but
also the only one without Halon, a compound so dangerous to the
environment that it has been banned in every industry except
aviation. PhostrEx is the first new engine fire suppression
technology to be approved by the U.S. EPA and the FAA in more than
50 years.
- While Eclipse 500 engines offer a 900-lb takeoff thrust, the
jet produces less noise than all multi-engine and most
single-engine piston-powered aircraft, and is a full 40 dB quieter
than the world’s most stringent Stage 4 noise requirements.
- Eclipse Aerospace partnered with BMW Group DesignworksUSA to
create the interior environment for the Eclipse 500. The result is
an aircraft that doesn’t sacrifice style and comfort for cost
and space.
- Eclipse Aerospace has designed a model training program for our
pilots, partnering with SimCom to develop a simulated flight
environment in which to learn and develop flight skills.
- Eclipse was awarded the 2005 Robert J. Collier Trophy, the most
prestigious award in American aviation, for “innovation in
the advancement of general aviation through the design,
development, and manufacture of the Eclipse 500 Jet.”
- Eclipse pioneered the use of friction stir welding (FSW) in
aircraft structures, using it extensively in the primary structure
of the Eclipse 500 since receiving FAA approval in 2002. At 20
inches per minute, friction stir welding is approximately 10 times
faster than manual riveting and provides a continuous join for
improved structural rigidity.
- Not only less expensive than any other twin-engine jet to buy,
the fuel-efficient Total Eclipse is also the least expensive
twin-engine jet to own and operate ($1.68 / nm DOC).
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