It is tough to get a new airplane into production.... it's even tougher when its the first of a new generation utilizing new airframe fabrication techniques, new powerplants and a revolutionary new cockpit. No one expected it to be easy, but the last few months have tasked even the adaptable team that comprises Eclipse Aviation.

There are some mea culpas.... mostly about recent communications (or lack thereof) with Eclipse's Raburn being up-front about the fact that this is an area that needs improvement. In a customer communication just now being dispatched, Vern notes that, "As you have seen and experienced, in the past several months we have focused on certification, first and foremost. This caused our customer communications to suffer. Now, as we make the challenging transition to a predictable production company that is focused on customers and customer operations, Eclipse is re-committing to deliver consistent communications to all of our stakeholders and build upon our long-standing customer relationships."

In a document sent to ANN a short while ago as well as a one-on-one discussion undertaken earlier on Wednesday, Raburn outlined a number of changes to their customer communication process. "Some weeks ago the executive management team mandated a new and more robust charter for the Customer Care and Product Support organization. We established a new executive level position with clear directives and goals. These goals complement our vision and business strategy while expanding the scope of customer care to fully integrate the customer support functions and services. Recently, Ken McNamara was hired to lead this effort and I believe that he will not only fulfill this charter, but also create an Eclipse culture that will dramatically raise the bar for an aircraft ownership experience.

Toward that end, we (Eclipse) are implementing the following immediately:

• Customer Care will initiate a communications plan utilizing the Eclipse Customers Only web site and regular email blasts to communicate with our customers.
• Eclipse will develop and launch a stand-alone Eclipse 500 Owners’ Group web site by the end of 2006.
• Customer Care will provide timely information regarding technical and nontechnical issues that might impact aircraft operations.
• Information regarding delivery schedules will be provided as we finalize a predictable production schedule. Like all new production lines, improvements in flow and predictability will only come with time. We commit to keeping you aware of our production progress and will communicate delivery dates 8 months in advance.
• Attached is a follow-on letter that Ken McNamara and the Customer Care team are sending with further details regarding the elements of our communication plan.
• We will not mass communicate changes that do not affect the airplane you are receiving."

Vern followed up with a closing statement and a promise, "While I pledge to you that I, and the Eclipse Team, will be more regular with communications, I am asking you to understand that this market segment is extremely competitive. There will be times when the company will face technical and internal challenges that will be proprietary and require confidentiality. There are a lot of competitors and critics out there that would love to see Eclipse fail, and they continue to spread misinformation and rumors to create our demise. I simply will remind you that every failure predicted by our competitors has not occurred…not that this will stop them. We do not intend to play their game, but rather manage our products and company in a way that will be envied by anyone in any industry."

Ken McNamara, the recently named Vice President Customer Care and Product Support, added a few details on five different topic areas...

Eclipse Owners’ Website

As was mentioned at the customer briefing in September, Customer Care will collaborate with the Eclipse Owners Group to define requirements for an owners’ website that will be implemented before the end of the year. Eclipse Aviation will build and subsidize this web site initially until the owners’ organization is ready to assume control.

Question and Answer Process

In past weeks, you were told to call and email your questions so they could be answered by senior management and Vern Raburn himself. While well intentioned, this approach cannot realistically generate the timely responses and up-to-date information you deserve. This month we will institute a new system in which all inquiries to Customer Care will be referenced to a specialized Customer Care knowledge department for immediate disposition. The process will work in this way: you submit a question via website or phone call and within 24 hours you will receive an answer on less complex questions and/or a date as to when you will be given an answer for more complex questions. Everyone within Customer Care will be dedicated to making this system easy to use and responsive. I ask only for your patience as we take sufficient time to answer more complex inquiries.

Technical Issues and Aircraft Information (Eclipse Owners & Operators Letter)

In keeping with a commitment to disseminate information, beginning next week we will publish updates about the aircraft production and technical issues on a regular and ongoing basis. There are often challenges in complex technical aircraft developments, and these are being addressed through good engineering, process management, and attention to detail. The first of these are included in this communication. We have no secrets. We will share information with you and we ask in return for positive dialogue and feedback.

Training

The subject of training is of utmost importance to all of you. In the coming weeks we will share the more detailed training and implementation plans, schedules, and data that many of you have requested.

Production/Delivery Schedules

There are currently 32 aircraft in various stages of production. As production moves into full swing, our operations management team is working hard to refine the flow of the line. It is clear that as we manage the movement of the line, not all processes are mature. The FAA Oversight Team is exhibiting careful diligence in cautiously approving the aircraft moving through first customer production certification. We will continue to provide information to you on our production line progress with the goal of generating more accurate data on production rates and aircraft delivery dates.

Teething Problems Continue

In an exclusive interview with ANN's Jim Campbell, Raburn also disclosed that there are still some teething problems with some aspects of the Eclipse 500 program, but that solutions were well underway for all (if needed) and were nowhere near as problematic as a number of rumors suggested. One of them resulted in Eclipse temporarily grounding their fleet while wing attach issues were resolved.

Raburn explained that, "While modifying a flight test aircraft with the larger tip tank, it was observed that a bushing in the rear wing spar attachment lug was displaced, causing excessive wear. Eclipse’s plan to correct this finding on flight test aircraft is to replace the bushing with a larger size bushing, and add spacers to prevent the bushing from moving in the hole. We determined that this was due to an installation error and the installation procedure of the bushing itself has been modified. We have found no evidence of this condition on production aircraft."

Eclipse decided through its very thorough process called Eclipse Aviation Safety Review Board, (SRB) to temporarily place a no flight limitation on the FLIGHT TEST AIRCRAFT ONLY. It is important to emphasize three points: 1) This limitation does not apply to any production aircraft; 2) This is not related in any way to our ability to deliver the first production airplane; and 3) This was an internal decision and not an FAA mandate.

Raburn emphasizes that there is no Airworthiness Directive (AD) on the Eclipse 500 resulting from this finding. Further; once flight test has tested the loads on the flight test fleet with the changes, "no further impact on those aircraft’s operation is expected. Production aircraft will then be retrofitted with the new procedures and we expect NO EFFECT ON CUSTOMER FLIGHT OPERATIONS."

Another problem cropped up in the form of exterior cracking of E-500 windshield assemblies. Eclipse describes the issue as, "Eclipse 500 flight test aircraft have exhibited 7 incidents of cockpit windshield cracking and 7 separate incidents of cockpit side window cracking. This cracking is due to a combination of thermal and pressurization loads causing a fatigue failure of the outside layer of acrylic. The “fail safe” interior layer of acrylic was undamaged in all cases. As a result, an inspection and replacement interval was added for the  transparencies ONLY to the Aircraft Maintenance Manual to prevent cracking in service. Eclipse is working diligently to remove any unique transparency inspection intervals as quickly as possible."

Another issue of concern have come from statements via a number of rumors or a few sources that seem bound and determined to muddy the waters for the developing Eclipse program. Eclipse notes that, "There seems to be a general misunderstanding of the Eclipse 500 Center of Gravity (CG) envelope listed on the FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS). Like most T-tailed aircraft with aft-fuselage-mounted engines, there is an aft CG condition with very light weight pilots. The Eclipse 500 is no different. With a 120-pound pilot and maximum takeoff weight, ballast will need to be added to the forward portion of the aircraft. This topic has no impact on the delivery of the first or subsequent production aircraft."

According to company documentation, the Center of Gravity (CG) range of the Eclipse 500 is within normal forward CG limits with up to six occupants including a 200-pound pilot and five standard-weight passengers. With a single occupant, the aircraft will be within the aft CG limit for a pilot of 180 pounds or more. A single 120-pound pilot will be slightly outside of the aft CG limit but could easily be brought within limits by adding 60 pounds of ballast in the forward fuselage and or cockpit. At the maximum loading, the two and one half inches on the loading chart is more than adequate for almost all loading conditions and as can be seen in the chart, fuel burn has no effect on the landing CG. Eclipse notes that no corrective action is required... despite the doom and gloom spouted by folks who seem more interested in creating turmoil than dealing with the facts of the matter.

ANN will have more details on these and other subjects shortly, as well as an updated Aero-Cast audio interview with Vern Raburn... as soon as he can catch his breath.

FMI: www.eclipseaviation.com