Eclipse 500 Price Set at $837,500

Eclipse Aviation has nailed down the price and equipment fit of its new Eclipse 500 Jet and has significantly improved the aircraft's capabilities through the introduction of a new extended-range version.

In late July Eclipse announced the final price, guaranteed performance and standard equipment specifications for the Eclipse 500 Jet. List price for the twin turbofan aircraft has been set at $837,500, in June 2000 dollars. This is higher than the $775,000 that had been previously mooted, but Eclipse counters this by saying that the equipment fit for the aircraft has been substantially improved.

The Eclipse 500 Jet will feature five seats as standard, with an optional six-seat configuration. The basic avionics package will include dual large-screen LCD flight displays. The avionics suite features integrated GPS-based flight management systems, digital flight control systems (DFCS), dual air data and attitude heading reference systems (AHRS), dual full authority digital engine control system (FADEC), and aircraft utility control system. It will also include dual VHF nav/coms, dual localizer/glideslope receivers, dual Mode-S transponders and color weather radar. Avidyne and BAE Systems Aircraft Controls Inc. have been named as the chosen avionics and integrated electronics vendors for the complete Eclipse 500 system.

Eclipse has also set out some firm performance figure for the aircraft. The maximum cruise speed will be 355 kts and range (with four occupants) will be 1,300 nmi. The Eclipse Jet's useful load is 2,000 pounds. According to Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation, "(This) announcement gives our customers a price and set of specifications they can count on. Our design process has progressed significantly and we stand behind (this) information with certainty. We are confident enough that we will offer a refund to our customers if any of these specifications are not met in the final aircraft."

Hand-in-hand with this announcement came the news that Eclipse Aviation is now offering a new Extended Range option for the Eclipse 500 -- using two removable tip tanks. The tanks increase the maximum range of the jet from 1,600 nmi to 1,825 nmi. All Eclipse 500 Jets will be equipped with provisions for attaching the tiptanks, which can easily be added or removed by a certified aircraft mechanic. Vern Raburn noted, "The Extended Range option is perfect for people who take long trips and fly with less than the maximum passenger load. The extra 225 nmi can make the difference between a one-stop and a non-stop flight." The maximum cruise speed for the Eclipse 500 with the Extended Range option is 345 kts, the takeoff distance 2,400 feet, and the empty weight is just 2,770 pounds. Pricing has not yet been announced, but availability is projected for early 2004.

Development of the basic Eclipse 500 Jet is steadily progressing. Initial wind tunnel testing has finished, and the aircraft is now in its final detailed design phase. The aircraft's EJ22 engine, rated at 770 pounds thrust, is a developed version of the Williams International FJX-2 and has now been run for over 100 hours. According to Eclipse, the EJ22 (which weighs in at just 85 pounds) has the highest thrust-to-weight ratio of any commercial turbofan engine ever produced-at 9.05. The Eclipse 500 Jet's first flight is planned for June 2002, with certification following in June 2003. Eclipse Aviation will not disclose its orderbook (deposits are understood to have been received for over 150 aircraft) but says it is on schedule to deliver the first example to a customer on August 1, 2003.