Charter Eclipse 500

Aircraft description

The Eclipse 500 is a lightweight six-seater business jet. Initially, it was an experimental Williams V-Jet II, designed and built in 1997 by Scaled Composites for Williams International to test the new FJX-2 turbojet.

The aircraft fitted with the new engine first flew in 1997 at the Experimental Aircraft Association air show in Oshkosh. It had a forward-swept wing, a V-tail and an all-composite structure. Interest in the concept led to the formation of Eclipse Aviation in 1998 to develop the programme.

The design was subsequently revised to use an all-metal fuselage, a straight wing and a conventional T-tail. Advanced manufacturing techniques were introduced to maximise automation. The Eclipse 500 was developed for two Williams International EJ-22 engines, a production version of the FJ22/FJX-2 turbofan. Its performance with these engines, first flown on August 26, 2002, was unsatisfactory, leading to the installation of two PW610F engines. The prototype with Pratt & Whitney engines first flew on December 31, 2004.

The main distinguishing feature of this model is the minimum operating costs for flights.