Eclipse
Aerospace, Inc., has received certification from the US Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), paving the way for production of the new Eclipse 550 twin-engine
jet. Representatives from the FAA presented the production certificate to Cary
Winter, Senior Vice President of Eclipse Aerospace, at Eclipse’s Albuquerque,
New Mexico, headquarters on April 25.
A production certificate allows a company to manufacture aircraft and parts in
conformance with FAA-approved type design, and is only granted when the FAA is satisfied
that the organization’s manufacturing processes and quality systems comply with
all federal regulations.
Winter
said the certification is an important step for the new aircraft.
“Armed now with a fully certified aircraft, a certified production process, and
an established supply chain, Eclipse is well positioned to re-introduce the
Eclipse Jet to new production,” he said. “Earning our FAA production
certificate means we have successfully built a reliable, high-quality
manufacturing process, and are well positioned to expedite aircraft deliveries.”
The approval process included the exhaustive evaluation of Eclipse’s
manufacturing processes, quality control, and production inspection systems.
“This
was a great effort by our Quality, Engineering, Production, Supply Chain, and
Facilities teams,” Winter commented. “We also appreciate the professionalism
and dedication the FAA demonstrated throughout this initiative, and look
forward to advancing the Eclipse 550 aircraft to full scale production.”
The new model Eclipse 550 twin-engine jet is built upon the Eclipse VLJ 500
platform, but will deliver with the next evolution of aircraft systems for
general aviation jets. Systems upgrades include auto-throttles, synthetic
vision, enhanced vision, and a redundant flight management system. The order
books were opened last November and first deliveries are expected in mid 2013.
The Eclipse 550 will be powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW610F turbofan engines, which collectively produce 1,800 lbs of thrust. This gives the Eclipse Jet a maximum cruise speed of 375 knots and an IFR range of 1,125 nm with a full fuel payload of 700 lbs.
The base price for the 550 is $US2.7 million.