A VLJ That's Green?

At EBACE2006 in Geneva, Switzerland Tuesday, Eclipse Aviation announced that early Eclipse 500 tests indicate the new very light jet (VLJ) will exceed the company's already aggressive expectations for low aircraft noise, engine smoke emissions and cabin sound. 

From the outset, Eclipse committed to meet Stage 4 aircraft noise standards -- the newest and most stringent noise requirements for jets. While this would require the Eclipse 500 to operate at or below a maximum noise range of 88 decibels (dB) for the approach point, testing to date shows that with an average maximum noise range of 68 dB on approach, the Eclipse 500 noise signature is multiple orders of magnitude less than this limit.

This means the Eclipse 500 will be significantly quieter than the majority of piston aircraft flying in and out of today's airports.

"Air and noise pollution concerns hit especially close to home for airport communities and frequent air travelers," said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. "We have designed the Eclipse 500 to be a great neighbor in every sense, whether you are flying in one or sitting in your living room as it takes off next door. The reality is that airport communities and Eclipse 500 passengers will enjoy all of the economic growth and convenience benefits of this revolutionary new jet -- with none of the air or sound quality sacrifices they might expect."

Of course, a jet that's quiet on the outside should be quiet on the inside, too, right? Eclipse reports that interior noise tests are yielding similar results, with the Eclipse 500 demonstrating ultra-quiet cabin sound levels comparable to those of a Challenger 604 or Hawker 800 -- jets that are ten to twenty times more expensive than the Eclipse 500.

Eclipse says that significant cabin noise reduction comes through the Eclipse 500's innovative airframe design, which:

• Eliminates straight skin surfaces on the fuselage, helping to dissipate noise before it enters the cabin
• Features engines that are positioned to the far rear of the aircraft, moving sound generation behind the aft bulkhead and thus, further from the cabin
• Establishes an angle between the engine inlet and the airframe that serves as a "sound trap" for compressor noise coming from the engine inlet
• Benefits from the enhanced rigidity of friction stir weld (FSW) construction, reducing the tendency for thin-skin aluminum to magnify sound

Not only are the Eclipse 500's twin PW610F turbofans very quiet... but testing has shown them to be very clean, as well. The regulatory limit for engine smoke emissions is a smoke number (SN) of 50 -- and Pratt & Whitney Canada tests show the Eclipse 500's PW610F engines are registering a SN of less than five. The PW600 series engines incorporate advanced technologies that minimize emissions and smoke.

Eclipse says this finding underscores the company's continued commitment to protect air quality -- which the company demonstrated last year when it announced that the Eclipse 500 would include PhostrEx, the world's first proven non-Halon engine fire suppression system, at AirVenture 2005 in Oshkosh, WI.

More effective and environmentally-friendly than Halon, PhostrEx has no ozone depletion potential (ODP) and contributes nothing to global warming. Approved by the EPA and FAA, PhostrEx is the only fire suppression system that meets the standards of the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to protect the depletion of the earth's ozone layer.

FMI: www.eclipseaviation.com