All Hail The Aero-Heroes of 2007!

It is both the most "fun," and most difficult, task facing the ANN staff at the end of every year -- determining who, or what, did the most to promote the cause of aviation in the past 365 days... while also chastising those people or entities that did all they could to undermine the many successes the aviation/aerospace community has managed to accomplish.

Thankfully, 2007 was a year in which we saw the best and brightest among us step forward and work tirelessly on behalf of us all. No doubt about it... the challenges we faced in 2007 were numerous, and ongoing... so was the quality of expertise and passion brought to our defense by those who heroically demonstrated to the world the very best side of aviation... via their deeds, words and actions.

It is ANN's honor to recognize a solid dozen of our Aero-Heroes for 2007... in something of an informal order, starting from 12th to the 1st. Let us know what you think of our selections... whom YOU would have liked be included or omitted from such a list. In the meantime, we thank the folks who made this year's list. Thank you, folks... we really needed you this year, and you didn't let us down.

From the Hero's List... #11: D-Jet/ECJ/TheJet

Roger Ramjet and George Jetson may soon find themselves with something to be jealous of... as a new generation of exciting GA birds start showing their feathers in the skies over North America -- in the next few years. The dream of being a jet pilot, especially of a jet you own and operate yourself, is about to become a reality for hundreds of pilots who have lined up (so far) for their chance to plunk down at least a million bucks and break free of their piston-powered chains and limitations.

Three machines (so far) have shown how intensely intriguing this market segment can be.

Diamond's D-Jet is likely to be the first of a new generation of personal jets to get into private owner's hands and will have a handy lead over the other entrants in the single engine jet sweepstakes. Diamond's design is a brilliant example of building enough of what everybody needs in a product, while avoiding the temptation to over-design. The simplicity and performance of the Williams powered Diamond D-Jet is likely to make it not only the first of a new generation, but one of the most popular aircraft for a number of years to come. Diamond has a sterling reputation for supporting their product line, devoting significant resources to training and pilot education requirements, and has been positively prescient in determining what market trends are the best to pursue. The D-JET is a 5 place luxury personal jet, powered by the FADEC controlled Williams FJ33 turbine and equipped with a Garmin all-glass flight deck and autopilot. Production D-Jets are expected to have a cruise speed of 315 knots, FIKI Certification, and operating altitudes of 25,000 feet. Two flight test vehicles are in the air and certification is expected for the middle of next year.

One of the biggest surprises of 2007 (to everyone but ANN... who was THERE for the TOP SECRET first flight) was the appearance of an amazing new concept for single engine jet airplanes, borrowing heavily from the pioneering work done on the revolutionary Eclipse 500. A possible production version of the ECJ (Eclipse Concept Jet) is expected to cruise at a top speed of 345 knots with a service ceiling of 41,000 feet. The aircraft's range is estimated to be 1,250 nautical miles. A unique element of the ECJ's aerodynamic design is its empennage, which features an external mounted engine pod and V-Tail vertical surfaces that create what Eclipse terms "exceptional" aerodynamic, weight, and operational benefits. The ECJ shares a number of design elements with the Eclipse 500. Common to the ECJ and the Eclipse 500 are the wing assembly minus the tip tanks, which includes the ailerons, the fuel system, main landing gear and actuators, flaps and flap actuators, wheels and brakes. The nose assembly is also common to both aircraft and includes the nose landing gear assembly, landing gear doors, forward pressure bulkhead, air conditioning and oxygen supply. The ECJ also features Eclipse's all-electric (and recently certified) Avio NG system, controlling aircraft computer systems, flight control trims, autopilot, electrical power distribution, FADEC, air data, AHRS, landing gear and flap actuation. All of the ECJ's major system components are controlled and managed using Avio NG, just as they are on the Eclipse 500. The aircraft's effect is sexier than hell and while there has been no official position on whether Eclipse will actually go ahead and commit to building this aircraft, it's future is all but certain. The reason? Eclipse admits to being "blown away" by how much interest there was in this bird... as there were hundreds who voiced the willingness to throw their money down if Eclipse was willing to promise to build them one... we have a feeling that they'll get their wish.

Cirrus Design reinvigorated the current world of general aviation by bringing exotic new technologies, a nearly obsessive interest in safety, and an uncanny knack for building useful airplanes back to the business. Over 3000 airplanes have been build using piston technology, but it's obvious that the Klapmeier brothers wanted something "More." And last summer, ANN was the first show you what "More" really means... Cirrus Style. "the-jet" will have a cruise speed of 300 knots at 25,000 feet MSL, room for up to seven people with a unique seating scheme, 1000 nm range and will be "competitively" priced between $1 million and $1.2 million -- though Alan Klapmeier maintains a desire to bring the basic aircraft in at under a million dollars, fly away. "We're calling it a 'personal jet', not because of its size but because it's a natural extension of our SR22 line," said Cirrus co-founder and CEO Alan Klapmeier. "Like the SR22, 'the-jet' is designed to be owner flown and it will be loaded with innovative features, including the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. While it's technologically advanced, it's designed to be exceptionally easy to fly, offering customers the opportunity to grow into yet another lifestyle change with Cirrus." Most striking about "the-jet's" shape is the v-tail empennage arrangement, to make room for the single Williams turbofan, carried atop the raked fuselage in a smoothly integrated fairing. The lines of the fuselage carry forward to a bulbous roofline over the cockpit, which offers seating for a pilot and four adult passengers -- one in the right seat, and three behind (or as many as seven, with a combination of kids and adults).

FMI: www.diamondair.com, www.eclipseaviation.com, www.cirrusdesign.com