Manufacturer says existing general aviation maintenance providers 'could not offer level required' for very light jet
As it prepares to resume flight testing of the Eclipse 500 very light jet, Eclipse Aviation has announced it will establish seven factory-owned service centres in the USA, the first two at its Albuquerque, New Mexico headquarters and in Gainesville, Florida. "They will all be in place by 2008," says chief executive Vern Raburn.
Eclipse will build the centres because existing general aviation maintenance providers "could not offer the level of service we require," says Raburn. The manufacturer will also authorise corporate and fleet operators to perform warranty work, and dedicate an Eclipse 500 to resolving aircraft-on-ground problems by flying in a repair team.
After selling 65 aircraft in the first half of the year, taking the backlog to 2,126, the start-up company has accelerated its planned production ramp-up to 260 units in the first 12 months and 880 in the second, to bring forward availability of deliveries from November to February 2008. Certification is scheduled for early 2006. Raburn sees sustained demand for 650-700 aircraft a year without the controversial air-taxi market, which makes up almost two-thirds of Eclipse's backlog.
Adam Aircraft has announced a "handshake agreement with an established fractional-ownership provider" for 100 A700 very light jets, adding to its 75-aircraft order from air-taxi start-up Pogo. But certification has slipped to "about a year from now", says president Joe Walker, after the US Federal Aviation Administration did not agree to an extension of the type certificate for the A500 piston twin, for which Adam hopes to receive approval by year-end.
Adam had hoped to begin A700 deliveries to Pogo in March. "We are working with the FAA to nail down details and find out exactly what they want us to test," says Walker. Chief executive Rick Adam says the certification date could change again if there are unexpected FAA requirements. A conforming prototype of the A700 is now expected to fly in about five months.
Aviation Technology Group (ATG), meanwhile, is expected to announce Albuquerque, New Mexico as the site for final assembly of its proposed Javelin two-seat light jet, with initial low-rate production set to get under way between December 2006 and mid-2007.
Although yet to formally confirm the move, the company says orders have reached "just under 100". Taxi tests of the non-conforming prototype are expected to start "within weeks", says president George Bye. Initial tests will take place at the Olympia, Washington site of subcontractor Soloy.
ATG confirms the choice of engine for the final production version is still open, despite use of Williams FJ33-4s in the prototype.
* Israel Aircraft Industries has become an equity investor in ATG as part of the companies' recently announced strategic alliance.
Source: Flight International
