Even as the Mideast goes up in flames, Eclipse Aviation marked a big milestone as the FAA awarded them a preliminary certification on their Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet in a ceremony at Oshkosh, July 28, according to USAToday. For photos and videos of the Eclipse 500 go to their site. Said CEO Vern Rayburn:
"We have looked forward to this monumental accomplishment since Eclipse was founded nearly eight years ago."
The Eclipse 500 weighs in at 3,536 lbs. empty, and 5,920 lbs. maximum take off weight. Its two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofans each deliver 900 lbs of takeoff thrust, and provide power to cruise at 375 knots at 41,000 feet.
Range is 1,125 nautical miles.
CEO Vern Rayburn is an ex-Microsoftie, and maybe it is just as well, since Rayburn needed an infusion of cash from Bill Gates when Eclipse’s initial engine contractor Williams International couldn’t deliver.
But Eclipse Aviation has 2,500 orders booked, and air taxi companies eager to offer the nation’s executives on-demand door-to-door service with fleets of the new VLJs.
Coming soon, of course, a HondaJet.
It could change the face of air transportation.
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