Eclipse Aviation tells ANN that they
have successfully completed Eclipse 500 airframe static testing.
The achievement of this major FAA milestone continues the
Eclipse 500's aggressive advancement towards certification in March
2006. The FAA has also cleared the Eclipse 500 to an initial 10,000
hour lifetime, which is significantly higher than typically
approved by the FAA.
Static testing, which rigorously tests airframe loads to the
design maximum and could, in some instances, test to failure, was
conducted throughout the Eclipse 500 airframe. Testing included the
wings, fuselage and flight control systems. All tests were
completed successfully without failure, eliminating the need for
any redesign or re-testing.
"The fact that the Eclipse 500 static airframe accomplished all
test points on the first pass with no failures reflects our
commitment to design and build a jet that that will meet the high
utilization demands of the air taxi and corporate aviation
segments," said Eclipse Aviation vice president of Engineering Ken
Harness.
"We are also pleased that, based on our extensive work with the
FAA, the Eclipse 500 has been approved for an initial 10,000 hour
lifetime at type certification. The designed fatigue life for the
Eclipse 500 is 20,000 hours, which will be demonstrated through
testing over the next two years."
In static testing, a distributed load is applied to a complete
airframe to validate that the aircraft meets the FAA requirements
for structural integrity. Eclipse 500 static tests included limit
loads, which are the highest loads the aircraft would ever expect
to experience, as well as ultimate loads, which represent 1.5 times
the limit loads. The FAA-approved Eclipse 500 static test plan
consisted of 14 airframe limit load cases and 5 ultimate load
cases. The static test airframe proved that the Eclipse 500 will
not experience any detrimental permanent deformation while
sustaining limit or ultimate loads. In addition to these 19 static
airframe tests, Eclipse also completed 3 additional FAA tests to
the flight control systems.
"To pass these tests on the first shot while bringing friction
stir welding to aircraft primary structures for the first time
demonstrates the talent and hard work of the entire Eclipse team,"
said John McCoury, Eclipse's director of Structural Analyses and
Materials. "I am so proud of the work that each of our structures
engineers has contributed to the Eclipse 500 program. Our static
testing success is a testimony to all of the time and labor of
analyses, test and design accomplished by this team. Southwest
Research Institute has also provided excellent test coverage and a
state of the art test system."
Next spring, another test airframe will undergo fatigue testing
to validate structural continued airworthiness. The FAA has granted
an initial 10,000 hours of operations limit at type certification
early next year. The extension beyond 10,000 hours will be based on
the results of fatigue testing and is expected to be more than
20,000 hours. The initial 10,000 hours approved by the FAA is
contingent on the remaining reports and testing to be submitted by
Eclipse for type certification.
Eclipse 500 static testing was accomplished at Southwest
Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. Southwest Research, under
contract to Eclipse Aviation, was tasked to design and assemble the
static test load frame and integrate the load control and data
acquisition system.