Eclipse Aviation introduces Eclipse 400 single-engine jet, raises price of Eclipse 500

Eclipse Aviation, manufacturer of the world’s first very light jet (VLJ), has announced that it will start taking orders for the Eclipse 400 single-engine jet, a production version of the Eclipse Concept Jet first exhibited at the EAA AirVenture 2007.
Current customers of Eclipse 500 jets will be allowed to be the first to place deposits on an Eclipse 400, according to a statement from the company.

In addition, customers of Eclipse 500 will receive an exclusive $125,000 discount off the final delivery price provided their deposits are placed before July 25, 2008.

Deposits from all others will be accepted starting at the EAA AirVenture starting in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the United States, on July 28, 20008.

(EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, formerly the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In, is an annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. The event is presented by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), a national/international organisation based in Oshkosh. The air show lasts 7 days.)

The Eclipse 500 is a small, 6-seat business jet aircraft manufactured by Eclipse Aviation, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the United States. It is the second of a new class of business jets called Very Light Jets (VLJ), following the delivery of the first VLJ, the Cessna Citation Mustang, in late 2006.

The Eclipse 500 aircraft is powered by two lightweight Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofan engines in tail-mounted nacelles.

Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation, said at an event held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for Eclipse customers to celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary: “Ten months of quantitative and qualitative Eclipse Concept Jet (ECJ) research has convinced us that this is absolutely the right airplane for the emerging single-engine jet market. The ECJ has elicited a tremendous emotional response from current and potential customers alike – people just love this airplane. We are excited to formally add this new aircraft to the Eclipse Aviation product family as the Eclipse 400.”

According to the company statement, the Eclipse 400 “continues the Eclipse tradition of bringing the most fuel-efficient jet airplanes to the marketplace. At an estimated 330 knots, the environment-friendly Eclipse 400 uses less than one pound of fuel per nautical mile – making it the world’s most fuel-efficient jet aircraft.”

The 4-occupant Eclipse 400 jet cruises safely at 41,000 feet, or 3 miles above its closest competition, the company claims. “It will feature the most sophisticated flight deck and complete aircraft integration available in general aviation. Its robust V-tail design provides superior handling and it is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F, delivering unrivaled fuel economy.”

The Eclipse 400 is priced at $1.35 million. Deliveries for the Eclipse 400 are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Similar, single-turbine engine aircraft range from 7% to 107% more expensive than the Eclipse 400, according to Eclipse Aviation.

Meanwhile, the company is increasing the price for the Eclipse 500 jet by about 30%. The jet will now cost over $2 million.

With about 2,600 orders outstanding for the Eclipse 500, the increase in price could affect hundreds of Eclipse customers.

However, a spokesman for the company was quoted by the media as saying that “only customers who previously locked in their price and those whose jet is expected to be delivered in the next 6 months will be exempt from the price increase.’