The fifth and final Eclipse 500 conforming flight-test aircraft has flown as the manufacturer strives to step up testing to achieve US certification of the very light jet on schedule next March. Cessna, meanwhile, has flown the second Citation Mustang flight-test aircraft ahead of schedule.
The Eclipse 500 test fleet had logged almost 300h when the fifth aircraft, the second of two “beta test” jets, flew on 25 August, well behind the plan, which called for flight testing to pass the 500h mark on 4 August.
With all five aircraft flying, and after restructuring flight testing to make up lost time, Eclipse expects to log hours “at an unprecedented rate” (Flight International, 9-15 August).
The first production Mustang, serial number 001, was flown a month early, on 29 August, and is the second of three aircraft to be used for certification testing. The prototype, which first flew on 23 April, has logged more than 230h and has completed envelope expansion and initial development of aircraft systems and flight characteristics, says Cessna.
GRAHAM WARWICK/WASHINGTON
Source: Flight International
