Eclipse Aviation says positive results from drag reduction work on the Eclipse 500 indicate the very light jet (VLJ) will meet its performance guarantees. The company also says the flight-test effort is almost back on its original schedule following the return to flying of the aircraft damaged in a wheels-up landing in early September.
“We’re highly confident the aircraft will meet its performance guarantees,” says president and chief executive Vern Raburn. “We’re clearly in a development programme, but we’re sticking by our numbers and I’m not losing sleep over it.”
The company is flight testing drag-reduction modifications to bring the range of the Eclipse 500 up to the guaranteed 2,370km ±5% (1,290nm) with a pilot and three passengers, under NBAA instrument flight rules reserve conditions.
Eclipse also hopes to gain some speed from the drag reductions, but Raburn says the aircraft has already comfortably exceeded the specification cruise speed.
During recent tests to demonstrate a dive speed at least 15% above VMO (maximum operating speed), the Eclipse achieved a true airspeed (TAS) of more than 450kt. This equates to a 390kt TAS in cruise, which exceeds the guaranteed 375kt. In terms of VMO, Eclipse has already demonstrated a high-speed cruise of 285kt indicated airspeed.
Drag improvements focus on a revised wing/body fairing, changes to the empennage and the join line between leading-edge de-icing boot and upper wing surface. Raburn is confident the modifications will not delay type certification, which is still targeted for the end of March 2006. Test hours “should hit around 750 by the end of NBAA”, he says.
Source: Flight International
